Letter to the Editor
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Ryan Neil is a general engineering sophomore.
I am writing to you to discuss the issue of sexual assault here at Cal Poly. According to a study conducted by Mary Koss, a professor of psychology at Kent State University, one in four women will fall victim to sexual assault in their college careers. My sister is a survivor, and I know the pain sexual assault can cause all too well.
The fear, stress and confusion that can be caused by sexual assault can be, and often is, overwhelming for a survivor to deal with. One of the worst parts about being a survivor of sexual assault is having to deal with a society that doesn’t quite understand, properly sympathize or respect the severity of the pain that it can cause a person. I want to argue that people should be more understanding, helpful and open to survivors to ensure they get the help they need, and I am speaking to all college students, but specifically Cal Poly students, faculty and staff. My proposal is that Cal Poly students make a conscious effort to speak up when they see something wrong occurring, and that the community can band together to help change the social norm of victim blaming and silence. When it comes to society’s views on sexual assault, there are two main issues that arise, both of which have many subsequent causes.
These two issues are the common lack of bystander intervention and the social norm of victim blaming. Bystander intervention refers to a person’s ability to step into a situation in which they believe sexual assault could take place and to make their presence known, therefore deterring the assailant. The social norm of simply thinking, “Someone else will take care of this” or “This happens all the time. It’s no big deal” is one of the leading causes of the perpetuation of sexual assault.
Another issue regarding society’s lack of understanding of sexual assault that I believe to be much more poisonous is victim blaming. Victim blaming comes in a multitude of different forms. One of the most common is the idea that the way a person was acting or the things they were wearing led the assaulter to do whatever it is that they did.
After the second time my sister was sexually assaulted, she told me that during an appointment with the on-campus doctor, the doctor asked her, “Well, why didn’t you go to the police?” This is another example of the kind of unsympathetic actions our society all too often makes towards survivors. Survivors are often too scared to tell someone what happened to them, for all kinds of reasons. Fear of being blamed is one of the leading causes.
It is unfortunate but true that sexual assault is something that will never be completely eliminated. That being said, we as a community have the power to educate ourselves in how to be more helpful and understanding towards survivors. In turn, I believe that this will drastically reduce the occurrence of sexual assault. So I am asking you, as a member of the Cal Poly community, to dig deep within yourself to find the courage to stand up for what you know is right and face what you know is wrong. Don’t stand aside and think to yourself that someone else will take care of a situation that could lead to sexual assault. I am tired of this trend of misunderstanding of the severity of the act and I ask you all to join me in actively fighting against it to help make a safer, more peaceful world for everyone.