April is sexual assault awareness month
Before the pandemic occurred there had been a flurry of Facebook posts going around and a lot of people talking about the sexual assault case that happened on our campus that had recently gained traction in the media. There had been a lot of concern for the well being of students on campus. April is the 19th annual sexual assault awareness month and even though there is a pandemic, it is still important to recognize what people have experienced and that some still haven’t received justice. I have had a few girls come up to me during the school year concerned because they feel like their voice was unheard when it came to their case or felt like they’ve done everything they could and it really hasn’t helped. There was even a peaceful protest planned to raise awareness of sexual assault on campus and the resources available. Although the pandemic has derailed some plans for those trying to raise awareness, I don’t think we can be quiet.
According to the Rape, Abuse, and Inset National Network (RAINN), only five out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison for their actions and 54% of victims are between the ages of 18-34. One in six women and one in 33 men have been the attempted or completed victim of rape. If you look at these statistics and don’t see a problem, then you better go get your eyes checked because you’re seeing things.
Hardly any perpetrators of sexual assault receive proper consequences for their actions. Meanwhile, victims are going to have a scar from this for the rest of their life. To me, it seems like people just don’t really care about the victim. People who hold a position of power that could do something usually don’t want to get involved in such a controversial issue. I’ve watched women cry their hearts out and have had to relive their experiences to tell people in authority their story only for those same people to shrug their shoulders. There are victims at our school who still have to walk around campus and see their rapists. That is a truth that some people don’t want to hear or acknowledge. Imagine every single day when you walk to class you have to see the person who took part of your sanity. You are scared and have struggled to even get out of bed because of what that person did. Yet the person who committed that crime still gets to carry on like nothing happened.
Sexual assault awareness month isn’t just about raising awareness, it’s about preventing it. If those of us who care want to see change, we have to be willing to call out the people who are not doing their job and support the victims who are not being taken seriously. Yes, that means calling out the people who hold high positions. But if they are willing to cover up or turn their head from what actually happens, they have to deal with the actions that follow.