Women on college campuses feel like they have to be on constant alert. As a woman, walking at night can be daunting. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, clutching my keys in my hand, avoiding eye contact and walking as fast as I can back to my car.
According to the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, “sexual assault” is an all-encompassing term that includes rape and any unwanted sexual activity that involves touching. A quarter of college women will be victims of sexual assault during their academic careers, and of those assaults, 80 percent will be committed by an acquaintance of the victim.
Despite the statistics, the way we combat sexual assault hasn’t changed. The advice usually given puts the burden of responsibility on the women by teaching women how to stay safe and avoid getting raped.
Currently, the way society treats sexual assault victims is appalling. Society shames victims, and our school isn’t doing enough to combat sexual assault and protect women on campus.
Zerlina Maxwell, contributing writer at Ebony Magazine, recently appeared on The Sean Hannity Show to discuss whether women should just get guns in order to prevent rape.
“I think that the entire conversation is wrong. I don’t want anybody to be telling women anything. I don’t want men to be telling me what to wear and how to act, not to drink,” Maxwell said. “And I don’t, honestly, want you to tell me that I needed a gun in order to prevent my rape. In my case, don’t tell me if I’d only had a gun, I wouldn’t have been raped. Don’t put it on me to prevent the rape.”
She’s right. According to a study by Charles Corprew III, a psychology professor at Loyola University New Orleans, men who adopt hypermasculine attitudes and the belief that danger is exciting and violence is manly are more likely to commit sexual assault.
He suggests that men need a fraternity structure that creates a space in which they can discuss alcohol abuse, sexual relationships and other potentially problematic behaviors. These discussions can prevent sexual misconduct.
In Maxwell’s article, “5 Ways We Can Teach Men Not To Rape,” she says young men need to be taught what is legal consent, that women are not sexual objects, how to express masculinity in a healthy manner, to believe victims of sexual assault and, most importantly, how to intervene and prevent a potential sexual assault.
We, as a society, need to stop thinking in terms of how to avoid being raped and instead teach men how to not rape.
The Student Health Center has sexual assault support, and medical services work to help victims of sexual assault by collecting evidence and providing support. The service is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and victims can contact Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response at 383-RAPE after hours and on weekends.
While this is great, more needs to be done. Firstly, our campus is dangerous and needs better lighting and more police call boxes. Secondly, LSU’s Mental Health Center should holds talks like Corprew suggests in Free Speech Plaza. Finally, we, as a community, need to change the way we think.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incent National Network, 54 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police and 97 percent of rapists will never go to jail. Women don’t report sexual assaults because of the prevalent social attitudes, which blame the victim for sexual assault.
We will never be able to decrease the statistics if we continue to shame victims.