[Trigger warning: Rape, Sexual Assault, Abuse, Drugs]

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network ( RAINN ) described the first weeks of college orientation and fall semester as ‘the red zone’, aka the most dangerous time for female students. First year students are especially vulnerable to sexual assault. They often feel pressured to rush into activities like excessive drinking, using drugs and participating in sexual acts where they do not feel comfortable. The use of date rape drugs to coerce someone into sex is also a major problem, such as pressurizing a partner into taking drugs to ‘loosen them up’ or spiking their drink. Although, everyone should know by now that an intoxicated person cannot give their full consent.

Revolt Sexual Assault, and The Student Room, found that 62 percent of female participants from 153 UK institutions experienced sexual violence at university. With eight percent of female participants experiencing rape during their first year. Keep in mind that most sexual assaults do not happen on campus but at private student homes. Usually the perpetrator is an acquaintance rather than a stranger. The consumption of alcohol does not cause sexual assault. However, alcohol or other drugs are often used as a means to facilitate assault .

Shame causes silence

Revolt Sexual Assault found that 56 percent of students believed that their experience was not ‘serious enough’ to report. If you’re unsure whether you’ve been sexually assaulted or not, ask yourself if you found the action inappropriate. If your answer is yes, then you were most likely assaulted. There are many reasons why a large majority of sexual violence remains unreported. Only 15 percent of those who experience sexual violence will report it to the police. Many survivors feel like they are to blame for their own assault, that they will not be heard or believed. It is the nature of abusers to shame their victims into silence, not to mention that a lot of people are unaware of what qualifies as sexual assault. This can be an especially stressful and confusing time, survivors are always made to question themselves by society.

Harmful statements are often thrown around by those who try to justify their actions or don’t want to admit there is a problem. Survivors of abuse are often made to appear irrational’ to the outside world. Whereas, their abusers present as ‘cool, calm and collected.’ Whilst often trying to provoke intense emotions in their victims in order to portray them as ‘crazy’ (aka gaslighting ). Therefore, their victims are less likely to be believed. Survivors often experience extreme mood swings, feel angry, helpless and doubt themselves. However, their abuser often appears completely stable because they feel justified in their actions.

The media also has a hand at making abusers seem rational, and sympathetic. Brock Turner had all the help in the world to paint him as a ‘good boy who just made a mistake.’ So it’s clear that society is more willing to believe and trust the abuser, than the survivor.

Sexual assault and uni culture often go hand in hand

Sexual assault affects every part of your life. Especially, your willingness to continue at university. So much so, that many students will defer their studies or completely drop out. Revolt Sexual Assault found that 25 percent of students skipped lectures, tutorials or dropped certain modules to avoid their perpetrators, 16 percent suspended their studies or dropped out entirely. Most students are not aware of systems at their university that could help them, just 7 percent of students know about their university’s sexual violence policy.

Sexual assault is a problem that has always been prevalent within university culture. Raising awareness is only just the starting point. Sexual assault is not the university’s fault. However, there is also the issue of University’s often taking the rapist’s side to be considered. The reason behind this most likely being that the University does not want to admit that they have a problem. However, it is unacceptable for anyone to ignore the problem any longer. All Universities have a responsibility to protect students, and that includes from sexual assault. Universities are letting down their students by avoiding the problem and failing to support survivors.

We should also raise awareness for male survivors, survivors of color, trans/intersex survivors, non-binary survivors, disabled survivors, lesbian, bi, pan and gay survivors. And every marginalized identity out there. There is absolutely no room for exclusion. Both students and staff need to stand up and say that sexual harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. As well as providing and promoting clear support services to support those affected by sexual harassment.

Sexual assault survivors aren’t always sure how to report it

Revolt Sexual Assault asked students anonymously what their universities were doing about the issue of sexual assault. One university has a way of reporting issues openly or anonymously. This was helpful because many find the idea of reporting their experiences intimidating. Another University’s student paper ran stories allowing survivors to share their experiences. A few ran consent workshops and awareness campaigns. More counselors should be available so that struggling students don’t have to be on a waiting list for a minimum of a month. Awareness needs to be raised about programs that are in place. A line to report sexual assault and support survivors is necessary. At the very least, those who continually make others feel uncomfortable should be excluded. These are just a few ideas that could put in place at more universities.

I contacted The Student Union’s Vice President of Welfare at the University of Brighton , Amy Jaiteh. It is her responsibility to represent the physical and mental well being of students at the University. “Sexual assault is definitely an issue that affects hundreds of students across all University campuses, Brighton included,” she said. This year, the University ran their first ‘Consent Awareness’ training. Open to all but only compulsory to student representatives such as Course reps and Welfare Officers. The university provided two documents containing information for survivors of sexual assault, both on and off campus. They also referred to me student services that can refer students to appropriate services.

Lad culture is partially to blame

A fellow student at the University of Brighton, Sarah (name changed for anonymity), said that it was common for her to be sexually harassed at night clubs. At a nightclub with friends, a man approached her and asked to buy her a drink. When she refused, he began to make her feel uncomfortable in a way that she described as ‘threatening’. He then proceeded to touch and dance on her in an unwanted sexual manner. Security guards asked her if she wanted him to be escorted out but she didn’t feel comfortable doing so. He had been known to sexually harass women at that particular nightclub, including bartenders. The staff were looking to permanently ban him from the venue.

Sexual harassment is commonplace at student union clubs due to the lack of adult supervision and consumption of alcohol or other drugs at their events. Exceptionally prevalent within university culture is a pack mentality grounded in sexism. Young women report being bullied, harassed and belittled, with sexual jokes and threats punctuating their experience of higher education. A NUS report at the University of Sussex identified this as ‘lad culture.’ This culture leads to a lot of women feeling disempowered and unimportant at university. “Lad culture” (aka toxic masculinity) makes light of harassment such as unwanted touching to revenge porn under the guise of ‘banter.’ The fetishisation and abuse of first year women is normalized as they are perceived as ‘easy,’ ‘insecure,’ and ‘naive.’

More needs to said and done about sexual assault so that survivors know that they are not alone and something is being done to help them. On top of teaching perpetrators how not to rape, we should be setting up support groups for those affected by sexual harassment or assault. Let students know what qualifies as assault, and what to do if they have been assaulted.

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