Spring Break
Letter reminds us of painful reality
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Forum
In regards to a Feb. 11 story in The Daily Barometer, "Women's Center hosts Vagigami," we received a letter from a student who identified herself as a survivor of sexual assault. Though she did not include her name, we felt she should be heard.
While this student believes the female body should be celebrated and understands that V-Week's events, which Vagigami was a part of, are intended to bring awareness to violence against women, she felt very uncomfortable and upset at the fact that this event, as well as "The Vagina Monologues," put the female anatomy on display without the permission of all women on campus. The events of V-Week were meant to be celebratory, but the student felt violated and unsafe on campus.
Though her story is tragic, hearing her about her experience and feelings shows us two things: One is that sexual assault exists, and another is that anything can trigger a survivor to relive their experiences, so we must create welcoming environments for survivors.
As we learned in the Feb. 24 column "Sexual assault survivors deserve to be heard" by Rose Hansen, 20 to 25 percent of women are sexually assaulted while in college, and approximately 10 percent of men are survivors of rape.
With these devastating statistics, assault can have devastating effects on survivors. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), survivors of sexual assault are three times more likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol and 26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
These statistics are more than numbers, they are real people: friends, parents, siblings, professors and your fellow OSU students.
It is difficult to know what can trigger a sexual assault survivor to relive past experiences. We are sure the planners of V-Week's events were not trying to harm anyone. However, it can be anything that prompts a survivors to talk, and we all must remember to create a safe environment for to share their stories.
The false reporting rate for rape-actual fabricated stories-is between two to three percent, according to the group Men Against Sexual Assault at the University of Rochester. Keep this in mind if you hear a survivor's story: he or she is telling the truth.
An obvious first step in conflict resolution is to acknowledge that a problem exists. We are here to say that sexual assault is a major problem on campus and nationwide, and we cannot shut our eyes and pretend it never happens and does not deeply affect survivors' lives.
We thank the student for writing the letter. We are sure her story will help change lives.
Editorials serve as a platform for Barometer editors to offer commentary and opinions on issues both global and local, grand in scale and diminutive. The views expressed here are a reflection of the editorial board majority. Disagree? E-mail a letter to the editor or guest column to editor@dailybarometer.com.
While this student believes the female body should be celebrated and understands that V-Week's events, which Vagigami was a part of, are intended to bring awareness to violence against women, she felt very uncomfortable and upset at the fact that this event, as well as "The Vagina Monologues," put the female anatomy on display without the permission of all women on campus. The events of V-Week were meant to be celebratory, but the student felt violated and unsafe on campus.
Though her story is tragic, hearing her about her experience and feelings shows us two things: One is that sexual assault exists, and another is that anything can trigger a survivor to relive their experiences, so we must create welcoming environments for survivors.
As we learned in the Feb. 24 column "Sexual assault survivors deserve to be heard" by Rose Hansen, 20 to 25 percent of women are sexually assaulted while in college, and approximately 10 percent of men are survivors of rape.
With these devastating statistics, assault can have devastating effects on survivors. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), survivors of sexual assault are three times more likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol and 26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
These statistics are more than numbers, they are real people: friends, parents, siblings, professors and your fellow OSU students.
It is difficult to know what can trigger a sexual assault survivor to relive past experiences. We are sure the planners of V-Week's events were not trying to harm anyone. However, it can be anything that prompts a survivors to talk, and we all must remember to create a safe environment for to share their stories.
The false reporting rate for rape-actual fabricated stories-is between two to three percent, according to the group Men Against Sexual Assault at the University of Rochester. Keep this in mind if you hear a survivor's story: he or she is telling the truth.
An obvious first step in conflict resolution is to acknowledge that a problem exists. We are here to say that sexual assault is a major problem on campus and nationwide, and we cannot shut our eyes and pretend it never happens and does not deeply affect survivors' lives.
We thank the student for writing the letter. We are sure her story will help change lives.
Editorials serve as a platform for Barometer editors to offer commentary and opinions on issues both global and local, grand in scale and diminutive. The views expressed here are a reflection of the editorial board majority. Disagree? E-mail a letter to the editor or guest column to editor@dailybarometer.com.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
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