Further proof we live in a Rape Culture> [View all]

[Survivoreesta]

This was posted on Burlington (VT) Free Press today by Cathleen Wilson:

Sexual violence is a complex social issue and there is no "one solution" to the problem. The public's outrage to the recent UVM Sigma Phi Epsilon survey is completely justified and encouraging to those of us who work everyday to change the attitudes that condone and normalize sexual violence. At HOPE Works (formerly known as Women's Rape Crisis Center) we hope that this incident becomes an opportunity for broader education and awareness and not just another opportunity to finger point.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon survey validates many people's concerns that rape is normalized within the fraternity culture. Rape also happens in work places, churches, schools, and homes. Sexual violence is a crime that is perpetrated against women, men, teens, and children. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010, recently revealed results that confirm that sexual violence occurs in our communities at an alarming rate. Nearly one in five women surveyed said they had been raped or had experienced an attempted rape at some point in their lives, and one in four reported having been beaten by an intimate partner. One in six women reported being the victims of stalking.

Additionally, the report confirmed that violence impacts men and boys as well, with one in seven men having experienced "severe violence at the hands of an intimate partner." The report also indicted that almost half of female victims said they had been raped before they turned 18. Last year, 16 percent of the people we served identified as men or boys and 18 percent of those we served were under 18.

Still there are some who want to characterize the survey as an example of "boys being boys" and that maybe some "sensitivity training" would be helpful. While I completely agree that empathy training is essential for anyone who has never experienced sexual violence, the very fact that this survey was created and distributed indicates that the problem is much larger than one fraternity or one university. Our culture is steeped in images and messages that normalize sexual violence and our criminal justice system is built on the principals of protecting perpetrator's rights well before any consideration to a victim's rights.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120101/OPINION02/201010321/My-Turn-Fraternity-survey-reflects-society-s-rape-culture?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

"Boys being boys"? How about men acting like men?