One of my co-workers recounted to me last week a story about her young daughter having her skirt and shirt lifted up by two boys in her class while at the playground. That was sufficiently disturbing to me, but more shocking than the boys’ action was that they were never reprimanded.
Her daughter’s teacher doubted whether the incident actually took place and asked whether she told an adult, as if to say, “I’m not going to believe you unless there’s a direct line of communication to document.”
Via: Feminspire
This is victim-blaming, point blank. This little girl felt violated, and instead of taking her side and punishing the boys, the teacher was more concerned with verifying whether the girl had told someone about it, so she could go through what a cog in the wheel would call “the proper channels” of reporting the wrongdoing.
No action was taken to discipline the boys, so now they’ll go on under the impression that what they did was okay because no one took the time to tell them it wasn’t.
The White House announced a new campaign last week to stop this sort of incident from happening because a large part of the problem is that no one is willing to admit that there is a serious issue with how this country thinks about and treats victims of sexual assault.
This week, the Obama Administration unveiled its new plan to shift the focus of anti-campus sexual assaults from women to men. The new plan of action adds to the administration’s existing “It’s on Us” campaign, and it shows men how to intervene when they see possible sexual assault situations arising.
This shift in focus cannot come soon enough. With sexual assaults becoming somewhat of a regular occurrence for campuses nationwide, even the University of Florida’s, I’ve been yearning for action to be taken. In order to prevent sexual assaults like those that have happened this semester, women need be more vigilant, but men need to be more willing to do something about them as well.
Via: Rolling Stone
The White House’s plan is to release a new PSA narrated by Jon Hamm telling its male audience that it’s important for them to speak out rather than be a bystander during situations of possible sexual assault. The ad started airing Thursday during particular programs geared more toward men, on social media and on Xbox consoles.
This new campaign will likely bring about a lot of attention for “National Week of Action,” which runs from Nov. 17 to 21. The Obama administration has even planned for White House officials to visit college campuses during that week to bring the conversation to the forefront of national attention.
Via: Women Under Siege
I think this is the first time that I can remember being excited about a campaign brought on by leading U.S. politicians. It is the first time that the White House is making a concerted effort to change the national point of view on the topic of sexual assault, and I could not be happier.
This is a great way to show the country that being sexually assaulted is not the fault of the victim. It doesn’t matter how the victim acts, what she wears, how much she drinks, etc. It’s about people understanding that the word “no” actually means “no.” It’s about people recognizing that sexual assaults are a huge problem in this country and that they are 100 percent preventable. It’s about showing victims of sexual assault that people will believe you and take your side to find justice for you.
Sexual assault is a preventable crime. If you see something sketchy about to happen, don’t just walk by and turn your head.
As the ad says, “this isn’t a PSA about sexual assault. It’s about being the guy who stops it.”
Via: Verity
I’m not saying that this campaign will have an immediate effect on the nation’s thought process surrounding sexual assault, but hopefully it will make people see certain situations differently. And, maybe it’ll help that teacher from turning a blind eye to student behavior that violates another student’s rights and comfort zone in the future.
Feature photo courtesy of: The Falcon
