Thinking about sexual assault

I am reading the Beloit College Alumni magazine and in it the President of the College, Scott Bierman writes about a topic that is on his mind – sexual assault. He notes that according to national reports, one in five women is sexually assaulted during college and he says, “Some of them have been Beloit students.”

Flashback for me, to 1973.  The women students at Beloit College started actively organizing ourselves to prevent rape on campus.  I was in my second year at Beloit, and there had been a series of sexual attacks at this small Midwestern liberal arts college.  We decided to start a Rape prevention hotline and a transport service, so no women would walk alone on campus at night.  

We turned one of the defunct sorority houses into a Women’s Center, and from there, a core group of smart, capable, creative young women became committed feminists.  A bunch of us came out as lesbians.  We brought women’s studies/theology professor, Mary Daly to campus, and when she demanded that men not attend one of her lectures, all hell broke loose. 

We produced a literary magazine, we did theatre productions, we were audacious and vocal and engaged in the blossoming women’s movement.  And we never stopped that transport service.

My 16 year old daughter is starting to look at colleges and I admit, I worry about what college campuses look like today.  National statistics show 70% of sexual assault victims are under 25 and one in four sexual assaults occurs on college campuses.  The U.S. Student Association reports that 13% of college women report being stalked during an academic year.

Obama named a White House Task Force to develop proposals to prevent sexual assault, and Congress is considering legislation. Dozens of colleges and universities are under federal investigation for possible violations of anti-discrimination law in their handling of sexual violence reports. 

As Sophie researches colleges, and before I write that tuition check, I will make sure that we understand the sexual assault policy of the college she attends, and what that college is doing to protect, educate, and support its students.

Here’s what Scott Bierman says Beloit is doing:

“The college has had a “non-intoxicated, verbal, mutually understood Yes policy for several years; we train staff to serve as confidential reporters and counselors for students; we coordinate meetings among male students to discuss their role in prevention and support; and we ask our resident assistants to educate and encourage communication among students. Our student policy committee reviews the sexual assault policy each year and reports finds and suggested changes to student government and the college staff.” 

But Bierman says, that while Beloit has been among those institutions that have adopted and applied best practices to prevent sexual assault,  “like so many institutions we are also confronted with the fact that it isn’t enough.”

What is enough? I shake my head at the culture.  Sure there were drugs and alcohol when I was in college, but I don’t think it was the same.   At parties, girls were not being served drinks with 5 times the amount of alcohol as boys.  Date rape drugs were not around. We looked out for our intoxicated friends, took them home, and didn’t leave them wasted and vulnerable. I didn’t know any guys who thought it was fun to have sex with a girl who is unconscious.  

I shudder when I hear people second guessing victims, and applaud all efforts to address systemic issues of assault and alcohol abuse on our campuses. Most of all, I want my daughter to be in a safe and healthy environment when she goes to college. 

Consciousness must be raised, behaviors and policies must change, Young men and young women must be responsible, and institutions must be accountable.  We can and must do better.