On September 13 students at University of Illinois received a crime alert about a report of sexual assault. When an incident of sexual assault occurs between strangers, like this example, the public is warned. However, 85 percent of cases are acquaintance rape. This means victims are usually assaulted by someone they know. Public sexual assault cases, while important to know about, are not the prevalent model.
Knowing how to protect yourself is an important skill; however, people may find it difficult to assert self defense in the case of acquaintance sexual assault. In such cases the predator is someone the victim has chosen to be with. Victims find it difficult to accept their judgment had been wrong about the person they thought to have been trustworthy. This is the least reported crime because victims are worried they will be blamed for letting it happen to them. Victims feel guilty because they think they could have prevented it by drinking less, saying no, or fighting back.
“Sexual assaults take place on this campus everyday,” said Jennifer Scott, coordinator of sexual assault education at the Women’s Resources Center. However, Sergeant Joan Fiesta of the University of Illinois Police Department said she typically sees five cases per year. Victims are embarrassed of their situation and worried no one will believe them. Therefore though sexual assault frequently occurs, it is rarely reported.
In order to be aware of safety it is important for people to know the difference between myths and facts. Although sexual assault is commonly thought of occurring at night in a dark alley by a masked stranger, it is more likely to happen in the middle of the day by someone the victim knows. Scott said it is frustrating to witness mass community alerts if this crime happens in public, when it happens much more frequently in private. The crime alerts sent through email to University students remind them to be wary in public, but Scott says we need to be just as careful around people we know.
Sarah Shaw, sophomore in Media said that being in a society where people are so exposed to crime desensitizes serious situations like sexual assault. She said living on campus can be scary since it is not a safe environment, nevertheless she said that overall she feels safe here.
Another myth about this crime is that it is about sex. Sexual assault is not about sex. It is not about what a person is wearing, or how hot she is or how many drinks she has had. It is a crime of power and control. Nothing a woman or man does to present themselves affects the reason why they may have been assaulted. If you are comforting a person who has been assaulted, it is necessary to tell them it is not their fault. They did not ask for or deserve it.
From birth, females are taught to take responsibility for their safety. It is common knowledge amongst women that certain strategies should be taken to stay safe, for example, covering a drink in a bar to avoid being slipped date rape drugs and refraining from walking home alone at night. Scott said instead we should be teaching males from birth what to do to prevent sex without consent, instead of holding females responsible for being treated inappropriately. If people begin taking preventative measures for males as well as females at an earlier age, Scott is confident sexual assault numbers will decrease.
In a country where approximately one sexual assault occurs per minute, and a campus where one in six women experience completed or attempted sexual assault before graduation, it is important for both men and women to be aware of the issue.
The culture we live in views women in a sexual way. Scott acknowledged that women are expected to look and act sexy. She believes that the way women are viewed in society today is absolutely why, “we live in a culture that supports sexual violence.” Despite this public image of women, anyone anywhere can be a victim of sexual assault. It is more common than publicly realized and people should be aware that it most frequently occurs between acquaintances.
