A movement to end all forms of sexual violence through education and activism... sounds empowering, right? And it is! But at the same time, it's a terrifying prospect, a concept that is intimidating to most men. Consequently, many men choose to remain uninvolved and distance themselves from the process of ending sexual violence. Why is that? Several factors play a role in creating an atmosphere of fear and resistance.
First, there is the fear of being blamed. Many men feel that women are blaming them for all sexual assaults and are labeling all men as rapists, simply because most sexual assaults are perpetrated by men. This perceived blame deters men from getting involved or showing interest in these issues. While statistics indicate that most perpetrators of sexual assault are male, we want to emphasize that this does not mean all men are perpetrators—rather, that most perpetrators are men—an important distinction to make.
Second, a common misconception is to think of these issues as feminine issues that only affect the women in our community. However, the reality is that sexual assault affects everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or age. Many would be shocked to know that 1 in 10 rape victims are male (U.S. Department of Justice, 2003) and 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape (National Institute of Justice, 1998). Even those who have not been personally affected by sexual assault have been affected by it indirectly (i.e., knowing someone who has been sexually assaulted). Despite the fact that sexual assault is clearly a community problem and affects everyone, many men worry that getting involved in these prevention efforts will in some way alter their masculinity.
The reality is that ""no matter how hard we work, women are not capable of ending sexual assault and domestic violence,"" said Kelly Anderson, director of Dane county's Rape Crisis Center. Sexual assault is a community problem, it affects both men and women. Therefore it requires participation from both genders. For this reason, it is crucial that men are included and actively involved in the work that aims to end and prevent sexual violence.
You may be wondering how these issues affect us, the college-aged population. Statistics compiled by the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault indicate that 14 percent of all sexual assault victims are between the ages of 18-24; on average, 1/3 of sexual assaults involve alcohol; finally, only 5 percent of undergraduate women report their sexual assault to the police. Sexual assaults are highly prevalent, with 1 in 4 women experiencing rape or attempted rape during their time in college (Fisher et al., 2000). There are about 22,000 females on our campus, meaning there are 5,500 victims too many. We have the power to change this statistic, but only if we work together, as a community, to address this issue. The following are ways for both men and women to get involved in effort against sexual violence:
• Volunteer for Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE), a student organization on campus dedicated to ending all forms of sexual violence through education and activism.
• Join ‘Men In the Movement' (MIM), a group of men on campus who support PAVE's mission and are actively engaged in the movement to end sexual violence.
• Get educated on the issue and become an advocate.
• Volunteer for the Rape Crisis Center
• Refrain from language that degrades others or treats them as inferiors (i.e., ""whore,"" ""bitch,"" ""slut,"" ""fag,"" etc.). Challenge those who do use this kind of language. This does not have to manifest in the form of an argument, it can be something as simple as ""I would appreciate it if you didn't use that kind of language around me"" or ""That's not cool, there's no reason to use that kind of language.""
• Talk openly and honestly with your partner about sex and sexuality, Always get consent.
• Take ""no"" for an answer; respect your partner's boundaries. ""No"" is not a rejection of you personally, but rather the activity.
• If you feel comfortable doing so, intervene in an unsafe situation—you may be preventing a sexual assault.
Show your support by attending one or more of the events in April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Visit the PAVE website (uwpave.rso.wisc.edu) for campus SAAM events or the RCC website (www.danecountyrcc.org) for community SAAM events. The more we are united in this effort, the better our chances of stopping and preventing sexual assault.
Sapir Sasson and Jared Selly are members of PAVE. Angelina Hanson is a student majoring in gender and women's studies. To contact PAVE, email uwpaveoutreach@gmail.com. We welcome all feedback. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
