You are here: Home » Opinions

Let’s step up, not back: Sexual assault at BC

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on December 7, 2009 6:03 PM

By Kathryn Haroldson

Rape happens, just not here at Boston College. At least, that’s what a large percentage of our student body seems to think. I have been a Sexual Assault Network (SANet) advocate for the past year. Over the course of my time with this organization, I have been constantly surprised by the lack of knowledge about this subject, especially with regard to the BC campus. Is there some tacit complicity to ignore this issue, or does everyone just seem to turn a blind eye to it because it “taints” our school’s image? Regardless of its origins, the ignorance surrounding sexual assault on our campus needs to be rectified.

SANet is comprised of male and female advocates who provide support, information, and resources for any Boston College student affected by rape, sexual assault, relationship violence, and other related crimes. These services are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. SANet is supported by the Office of the Dean for Student Development and the Women’s Resource Center.

Yes, Newton is an incredibly safe town, and our campus has blue lights and its own police department, but assaults are not random men in ski masks chasing women into dark alleyways. Ninety percent of college rape victims are acquainted with their attacker. This means that men and women are being assaulted in dorm rooms, at off campus houses, even at parties you’ve been to. Rape is the most underreported crime in the United States. Approximately 60 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police — understandably. Even in a society in which women are hyper-sexualized, a girl wearing a low cut top and miniskirt is subject to being labeled as “asking for it” when she is assaulted. It would be difficult for anyone to acknowledge this sort of experience in a community as small as ours, especially given the persecution suffered by people that have spoken up in the past.

College-aged women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group. So why does sexual assault lie within a “no talk” zone? Everyone is aware of the hook-up culture, the binge drinking, and the “extremely fit” issues we have here on campus. The administration and student groups are making an effort to confront these particular issues and bring them out into the open for a full and frank dialogue. Why hasn’t this spotlighting trend breached the realm of sexual assault? Most people on campus are not even aware that SANet exists, even though it’s one of the phone numbers on the back of your Eagle ID. When sexual assault is addressed on this campus, an uncomfortable air settles over the conversation. While giving classroom presentations about SANet and the realities of sexual assault on campus, I’m constantly greeted with blank stares and disinterested faces. Is this a symptom of the “well, if it doesn’t affect me, I don’t really care” mindset? Does there need to be a greater effort to bting discussions about sexual assault and rape here on campus to the mainstream? This attitude of apathy allows our community to brush this important issue under the rug. One in six women and one in eight men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. That is one girl out of every mod; one guy out of every eight-man in Vandy. No one is unaffected by sexual assault. Whether it is your roommate, your friend or someone on your floor, it can be found all around us. Perpetrators who are never caught usually go on to commit an average of six rapes without ever spending a day in jail. Is everyone really okay with that?

As uncomfortable as it is to acknowledge, people are raped and assaulted here at BC. The BC bubble is not impenetrable to this crime, and the best way to combat this issue is to address it. Get it out in the open and talk about it. Make it clear that the BC community cares and won’t look the other way. By keeping sexual assault hidden, by pretending it doesn’t really exist, we have enabled the attackers to continue. We have also discouraged survivors from sharing their stories by creating an atmosphere of shame around these attacks. Rather, we must communicate to victims that their experiences are worth our time. As a student here, it appears to me the only time these issues are publically discussed is one reserved day in the spring, “Take Back the Night.” Events like these promote awareness and reinforce to survivors that there is a community ready to receive them. However, one day of openness, discussion and concern is simply not enough. We have an obligation to our fellow students to acknowledge sexual assault on our own campus. We must make it clear that we find this behavior repugnant, and the perpetrators despicable. We also must make it clear to the victims that they have our support and our respect. It is about time we give this serious issue the attention it deserves. We must ask ourselves: are we really comfortable being part of a community that sits back and refuses to take action?