The American Association of University Women says, “90% of women know the person who sexual assaulted or raped them”. AAUW also says “75% of the time, the offender, the victim or both have been drinking. 20-25% of women will be raped during their college year.”
In beginning of every school year all athletic teams are required to attend a meeting on sexual assault. The athletes are separate by sex, and are taught two different stories.
As a female athlete, we listen to a former female athlete tell us about her past experience with sexual assault. The first time I listened to her speak I was touched. Her story is one that should be heard, it is important.
This year in the female athlete group we counted off in fours. The speaker informed us that one in four women are raped. Whoever was a number four went to the front of the room. They represented the statistic of raped women. True, it was awkward for the girls up there, but it made you think. It gave the situation a face.
This year as I sat through the presentation, I thought to myself, this is a great story but why isn’t it being shared with all the females on campus. Are the athletes considered to be the privileged few? It is valuable information that everyone should know.
While in conversation with some of the male athletes I asked what their sexual assault meeting was about. For the most part they joked around saying “oh I can’t touch you, that’s sexual assault.”
Their newfound hyper awareness is a good sign, but are they taking it seriously? And an even bigger question, are they being subliminally told that they will commit rape? That’s not fair for them. Sexual offenders are not always the stereotypical male jock.
I asked many people what type of person they thought of when they heard the phrase college rape. For the most part the answers were similar; creepy person lurking in an alleyway.
“I think drunk,” says Junior Keira Wilson. She makes a valid point. Why are we perpetuating the stereotype that male athletes are more likely to be a sexual offender? When from the statistics above it is proven that 75% of rapes that occur, one or both of the people are intoxicated.
Maybe we should be more focused on teaching students about the effects of alcohol on everyone, regardless if they are or are not an athlete.
My second concern is that there is a large divide amongst the Guilford community. I denied it as long as I could but it’s here. There are the athletes and the non-athletes. I understand that this is not a completely static divide.
Separating the student body and giving them valuable information is conveying the message that we don’t care enough to let everyone know. Which is also not fair. This is Guilford College; don’t we pride ourselves in equality?
Every student deserves to know that a friend of theirs could be the one that one night has too many drinks and gets a little rough. Every student deserves to know that if some one is drunk that they cannot give consent.
Sexual assault is real, and happening on Guilford’s campus, and just letting the athletes know that is not enough.