Amidst Rape Culture, Be a Title IX Champion
In definition, Rape Culture is a society whose prevailing social attitudes have the effect of normalizing or trivializing sexual assault and abuse. In essence, Rape Culture is the election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. Rooted in the domination and objectification of women, Rape Culture is something the misogynistic man we are forced to call President boasts about.
Reflected across the nation, is the world in which Donald Trump thrives: a world where women are objects to be assaulted. All across the nation, there are women being assaulted and raped at parties, on college campuses, at work, and within their own homes with their chosen partners.
The recent “me too” campaign is evidence that women are tired of being grabbed, groped, and denied access to adequate reproductive healthcare and their own bodies. Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply.”
The #metoo campaign triggered more than twelve million Facebook reactions within 24 hours, and over a million tweets in 48 hours.
The question inevitably arises: What woman, if any, has not been sexually assaulted or harassed?
Within my personal Facebook newsfeed, the ripples of the #metoo campaign are still emerging. Months following the campaign’s conception, it seems daily there is another female, another person who has been violated telling their story.
These open acknowledgements of sexual violations speak to the understanding of danger women face and the overt existence of Rape Culture. The knowledge gained from the campaign—victims are not alone—is the first step, I feel, in repairing the effects of Rape Culture.
As oppression thrives in silence, annihilating Rape Culture’s existence is dependent upon the disclosure and reporting of sexual violence and assault.
While women are beginning to speak more openly about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault, their disclosures are in vain if not taken seriously by authorities and direct consequences applied to the perpetrator. Unfortunately, there are people like Secretary of Education Betsy Devoe in office. Devoe claims that Title IX protects student survivors at the expense of the accused.
Although Title IX is most visible in sports, it is also involved in every facet of education. While Trump and Devoe seem to want to destroy the structure of Title IX, colleges must still:
1. Act to ensure your campus is not a hostile environment.
2. Promptly respond and investigate your complaint.
3. Provide you with the accommodations, including counseling, you need to learn.
4. Provide you the opportunity to be accompanied by an advisor (of your choice) to any disciplinary hearing and notice of the outcome.
5. Provide violence prevention training to students.
Due to the blatant existence of Rape Culture, there is a tremendous movement of students, teachers, lawyers, and legislators fighting for victim’s civil rights.
We all have a role in ending sexual assault--be a Title IX Champion.
(To learn your rights, keep up with the Title IX rulemaking process, or learn more about ending gender based violence and discrimination, visit: https://www.knowyourix.org/.)
