April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and we cannot exaggerate its importance to our community.
Though many of us go without considering it, sexual assault is an alarming truth on college campuses. One in four women on college campuses will experience some form of sexual assault within their four years of attendance. Because of this, we must use April to assess just how safe our environment is and figure out what we can do to make our community a place where sexual assault is uncommon and reduce our chances of being sexually assaulted.
The safety of our community lies in our hands, and we cannot allow sexual assault to continue to be an unspoken truth within the Eugene community.
This month, the ASUO Women’s Center and Men’s Center will host several events, including April 28’s Take Back the Night, to challenge our community to think more critically about sexual assault and its discomforting prevalence on our campus. We should do what we can to support our peers in their efforts by attending some of these events and talking with our friends about these issues. Even those who aren’t survivors of sexual assault should be aware of how it impacts those who are.
The fight for sexual wellness doesn’t stop in April. The Women’s Center, Men’s Center and other groups such as the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team make efforts year-round to make our campus safer. Ultimately, it comes down to our entire population making smarter decisions and looking out for one another.
One of the most important places for us to start being more aware is at parties. Environments involving alcohol are a common setting for sexual violence — at least 50 percent of student sexual assaults involve alcohol, and 75 percent of male students involved in date rape had been using alcohol. There is nothing wrong with having a good time on the weekend and responsibly drinking with friends and peers. We have to understand, however, that in doing so we increase our risk of falling victim to sexual violence. We should consider it our responsibility to protect one another in these high-risk environments by supervising how much we drink, looking out for any signs of forceful action and traveling in groups.
But even then we are not immune, and it can still happen — the National Center for Victims of Crime reported 73 percent of female victims are sexually assaulted by people they know.
If you are ever sexually assaulted, the worst thing you can do is nothing. Though you may feel embarrassed or afraid nobody will believe you, it is important to tell your close friends, family and the authorities, so you know you are not alone and there are people here for you.
Local resources for sexual assault survivors include the University Counseling and Testing Center (541-346-3227), the University Health Center (541-346-2770) and the Sexual Assault Support Services (541-343-7277). They are here to ensure that you can get through these trying times in the most healthy fashion possible and that you receive any help you need.
The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses today is totally unacceptable. An environment where 25 percent of women will be sexually assaulted shows students and universities aren’t doing enough to protect women from assault and violence.
This Sexual Assault Awareness Month, let’s work together to make this campus a safer place for everyone.
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Editorial: Sexual Assault Prevention Month brings attention to overlooked phenomenon
Daily Emerald
April 10, 2011
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