Stop the Silence

By Melissa Corts
Isolation. Slut-shaming. Abuse. These are just some of the reactions that victims of sexual assault
have to deal with when those around them find out what they have been throughthese
reactions are sometimes referred to as second rape and can have detrimental consequences.1
Often times, it is the fear of receiving these responses that keep many from speaking up about
what they have been through. However, many times these damaging reactions stem from
ignorance on the part of the onlookers. For these victims, the terror doesnt end once the act is
overthese individuals are forced to deal with the aftereffects for years. That is if they ever
learn how to deal with them; these events will often change the way they think for the rest of
their life. But its the people they come into contact with after the attack that will often shape the
way they cope and how they will learn to perceive themselves.
For too long, victims of sexual violence have felt that they were being silenced. That what
happened to them was somehow their own fault and that to speak out would only be met with
humiliation and disgust. This is not new information; with the realization that it wasnt getting
any better the federal government even mandated that Title IX coordinators be named across all
college campuses back in 2004. Yet the numbers still grow. Today, studies publish that 1 in 4
women on college campuses are victims or attempted or completed rapecompared two the
national average of 1 in 6 women. There have also been more recent actions taken to try and put
an end to this. Steps taken to silence sexual violence, rather than the victims. Campaigns like No
More in 2009, Not Alone backed by President Obama in 2014, and protests on Columbias
campus over the past academic year have brought the issue into the spotlight to show that there is
support for the victims.
In a class recently, we watched the trailer for an upcoming film, The Hunting Ground. The
documentary, set to be released by CNN Films on Feb. 27, reveals the assaults, aftermath, and
humiliation that students around the US were forced to deal with.2 After watching the trailer
which was powerful to say the leasteveryone sat in silence. It was like you could feel everyone
trying to process what they just saw. Well that certainly had a perspective, was what broke the
silence. Here the professor is attempting to integrate the conversation on sexual violence across
college campuses into the classroom and the first response uttered showcases the exact mentality
that we, as student affairs professionals, are working to eradicate.
Even a grown man in an elite institution showcased the exact ignorance that leads so many
victims to feel like they have no right to speak out and seek help. He went on to explain how it
wasnt fair that the other side of the story wasnt included and how hurtful these accusations
could be for the attackers. Statistically speaking, four people in that room had a history of sexual
violence and, in that one second, the idea that the well being of their attacker was more important
than their health or happiness was reinforced in their.3
This is not the message that should be at the forefront of a victims mind. There should be no
question that there is someone willing to hear their story, willing to help them, and wanting to
put an end to the violence. It is the mission of Higher Education Institutions to provide students
with a safe place to learn and express their ideas, but also to make sure they gain the needed

skills to excel in the workplace and become knowledgeable and engaged citizens. U.S.
institutions have started to make changes with the introduction of Title IX Coordinators and
crisis centers, but the war on violence is far form over.
It is a shame that regardless of the efforts put forth on behalf of the civic mission of colleges and
universities, these hurtful thoughts and actions are still present. Movies such as The Hunting
Ground should be welcomed and celebrated; No should mean No and not Let me get you
another drink or Youll like it; and the mentality that the victims are a priority should not be
something we are fighting to prove, but rather something that just is.
1. Campbell R, Ahrens CE, Sefl T, Wasco SM, Barnes HE. Violence Vict. (2001) Jun;
16(3):287-302.
2. http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com
3. http://nyscasa.org: Roughly 24 people in that room1-in-4 female and 1-in-7 male
students are victims of sexual violence