Sexual Violence - Sexual Assault

Alex Holt

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), “the term “sexual violence” is an all-encompassing, non-legal term that refers to crimes like sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse”. Many of these crimes include child sexual abuse, intimate partner sexual violence, incest, drug-facilitated sexual assault, prisoner rape among many others. This definition is pretty general, but when we take a look at the definition of sexual assault, it is more clearly defined. Sexual assault includes attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching, forcing a victim to perform sexual acts or penetration of the victim’s body, known as rape. The FBI defines rape as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina, or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person without the consent of the victim.” This seems pretty clear, yet it has come to be so controversial in the United States.

While sexual assault, or generally the oppression of women, is an ancient practice that has been rooted in religious and cultural practices, we’ve seen the rise of the #MeToo movement come about to combat the sexual violence women have been facing and keeping quiet about. Tarana Burke coined the phrase “Me Too” in 2006 to help women realize they’re not alone in surviving sexual violence. In 2018 alone, we’ve seen the phrase take on a movement that has changed the entertainment and political industries as powerful men are being brought down.

The #MeToo movement really came to fruition when Harvey Weinstein, a film producer, was accused of sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault over a period of 30 years and more than 80 women have accused him. While the trial is still ongoing, it sparked many women into telling their story and the scandal’s impact on powerful men came to be called the “Weinstein effect”.

Matt Lauer, the face of NBC for almost 20 years, was subject to this “Weinstein effect” as well. Americans were shocked to find out that the man they watched everyday was quickly fired over sexual harassment and abuse allegations.

Now, nearing the end of 2018 not much has changed. Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as Supreme Court Justice after Christine Blasey Ford’s compelling testimony against him over an allegation of sexual abuse (as well as the other accusers that weren’t in the spotlight as much).

We know sexual assault is wrong. Everyone does. We know we should believe the victim and that the perpetrator should be punished, but this isn’t happening. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), "1/3 women and 1/6 men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime." This statistic means that most of your friends or colleagues have experienced this in some way. It’s so common, but nothing is being done about it. So what are we to do now?

If you or someone you know have been a victim of sexual assault, the best thing you can do is reach out to a professional or even a hotline just to talk to someone who knows what they’re doing. The best thing is to have your voice heard and documentation taken of what happened. If you’re nervous about talking about what happened, there are many options to anonymously explain what happened while getting help. Resources & organizations have been listed below that specialize in sexual violence cases.

If anything, have your voice heard. The #MeToo movement is really just beginning and with more people speaking out, hopefully more social change will come to be because of it. Sexual violence must be stopped and the only way it can be is in solidarity.

Crisis Services: http://crisisservices.org/rape-domestic-violence/

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline https://www.rainn.org/get-help

National Sexual Violence Resource Center https://www.nsvrc.org/find-help

National Center for Victims of Crime http://victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-victims/bulletins-for-teens/sexual-assault