Lindsey Stull | Think about it

I don’t know how to write about rape.

Rape destroys lives, changes people and can end in pregnancy and STD transmission. If it were something abstract to me — like a tsunami, or something that happened a long time ago — I could probably distance myself enough to write about it easily, but victims of sexual assault are my friends and classmates, and it’s happening all the time, so I don’t know what to say.

The news of Sunday’s sexual assault left me shaken. I could have been at that frat party. I went to a bar downtown instead, but even then, I could have easily ended up in the same situation. About 73 percent of rape victims know their assailants, and what allegedly happened at that party was, indeed, an acquaintance rape. The victim could have been me, and I could have been the victim. It hurts to think about it. But we have to.

So in the wake of the third reported rape this semester, let’s talk about awareness — thinking about it.

Here’s the reasoning: If people think about it enough, and viscerally imagine the results, they won’t do it — and they’ll help intervene when others try.

One-in-Four, Penn’s all-male sexual-assault peer-education group, joined with the Penn Consortium of Undergraduate Women to sponsor a second Speak Out event at the Penn Women’s Center last night. The group invited community members to show support for survivors of sexual assault and foster discussion about the crime. College senior and One-in-Four president Josh Pollack summed up the event nicely: “While it’s horrible that this happens to anyone, what we really want to take from this as a community is that we really shouldn’t fear talking about these issues, that we should try to take positive steps to make people aware this is going on and prevent it.”

Personal awareness plays a huge role in how these things play out, including the aftermath (reporting to police, etc.). Another important factor, however, is environment — sexual assault may happen anywhere, at any time, but some factors can facilitate its occurrence.

RAINN — the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network — reports that alcohol is the most commonly used chemical in sexual assault. Remembering this may remind us to extricate friends (or strangers) from a party when they seem incapacitated. If we keep sexual assault in mind, it makes decisions that much easier: Yes, you should take 20 minutes to walk her home. It’s worth it. Think about it.

Two of the three rapes this semester occurred at large frat parties, with many attendees and, God knows, copious amounts of alcohol. I would encourage hosts to take reasonable precautions — lock bedroom doors, for example, and perhaps add some extra lighting. Penn students have spent many a weekend night in packed, barely-lit basements, where dark corners abound. In these situations, keeping track of one’s surroundings can be challenging. Think about it.

It also seems reasonable for hosts to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior and do their best to actively prevent opportunities from arising. While the onus is clearly not on the host to actually avert an incident — and hosts should not be blamed for the sexual assaults this year — a few watchful eyes never hurt anyone. Think about it.

And with that, I encourage you, regardless of age, gender, party habits etc., to think about it. Think about the ramifications of rape throughout the community — not only for the survivors, but also friends, family and, as Pollack pointed out, the event hosts. Think of the fact that college-age women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group. Think of your own safety, think of your friends’ safety and, if you need to, think of the safety of that woman who’s had one too many.

Think of them, and, as a community, let’s join together to help prevent this from happening in the future.

Lindsey Stull is a College senior from Oklahoma City, Okla. Her e-mail address is stull@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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