Showing solidarity for sexual assault victims

By Editorial

Alumna "Hanna O'Brien" is many things. She's a college graduate, a daughter and a friend. And in her sophomore year here at Santa Clara, after a man she considered to be her friend attacked her, she became a survivor of sexual assault.

In her residence hall room one night, the man, who was drunk at the time, pinned her down on her bed. He tried to force her pants down. Thankfully, Hanna was able to force him off of her and run away. She now considers herself lucky that he was too intoxicated to chase after her.

As terrifying and heart-wrenching as Hanna's story is, the fact that her experience is far from unique is what should give all of us pause.

Far too many women on this campus are victims of rape or attempted rape. And if statistics are any indication, the vast majority of them suffer in silence, too confused, ashamed or afraid to report the unspeakable way they have been victimized.

Our heavily manicured campus, high academic standards and predominately upper-class economic profile in no way make us immune to the pervasive and frightening phenomenon of sexual assault and violence against women.

It's a problem at universities nationwide. And it's a problem here.

Sexual violence is a complicated issue, with sources that include gender roles that are perpetuated by society and reinforced by media, attackers that don't understand the meaning of consent and the prevalence of alcohol and other drugs.

Far too often, both the responsibility for preventing sexual assault and even the blame when they do occur fall on women.

"Why did you get so drunk?" some are asked. "Why did you dress like that?" "Hadn't you hooked up with him before?"

Inherent in these questions is the idea that women are solely responsible for protecting themselves, and that men can't be expected to control themselves, especially when they're drunk.

And so the gender roles are perpetuated, and the violence and victimization continues.

This twisting of guilt and blame is ethically and morally twisted, and should be beneath who we are as a community. Men on this campus must come to a realization: It is just as much their responsibility to put an end to sexual violence as it is women's.

This means realizing that neither getting drunk nor dressing a certain way constitutes any form of consent.

It means avoiding all forms of intimidation in sexual situations, and maintaining open communication when it comes to boundaries. Just because she's OK with taking one step doesn't mean it's OK to take the next. And just because you've done something before, doesn't automatically mean she's open to doing it again.

And it means looking out for female friends, and letting them know that they can always count on you for support, whether it be somebody to walk them home, or somebody to talk to in the tragic event that they become victims themselves.

Because the women who are being hurt by sexual violence are not merely nameless victims. They are our classmates, and could just as easily be our friends, sisters and girlfriends.

For men on this campus, the time is now to show solidarity, and send a message that Santa Clara should be a safe environment for all.

Only then will we be able to ensure that no woman ever experiences the horror that Hanna was forced to.