Over the past decade, sexual assault has become very topical and newsworthy. The spotlight has become brighter with what is seemingly a constant stream of reports on college campuses and churches across the country and throughout the military. Thanks to a renewed effort to create awareness, legislation (Title IX) and more aggressive prosecution, women (and men) have become more comfortable reporting such abuses. One ugly theme with respect to sexual assault, abuse, or rape is the misconceptions and stereotypes that it carries. It was somehow the victim’s fault. These acts do not discriminate. Factors such as age, race, religion, socio-economic status or for that matter gender do not matter. Also it would be remiss not to include men and young
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According to figure 9.1 in Doerner’s Victimology (2014), 27% of sexual assaults occur by a stranger, which means someone you know commits a whopping 73% of the sexual assaults. That includes relatives, friends, or even someone you have had an intimate relationship with (p. 230). The assaults often occur over faulty assumptions. For instance, a woman consents to sex hours ago. Later after drinking, one still cannot assume permission is place to have sex. Particularly when the victim is intoxicated, acting on severely impaired judgement! Unfortunately that is not the case. If people would only use discretion, be in more touch with their moral compass, better decision-making would result. I would argue that it won’t stop all sexual assaults but it would likely have a positive impact in reducing the number significantly. The consequences of these selfish acts are horrid, demeaning and unimaginable. They often leave victims with lifetime scars and emotional issues surrounding trust and intimacy. Only when people start changing the way they think and act, real strides can be made. Education is needed to help society better understand these …show more content…
Athletes in particular at schools big and small make news for all the wrong reasons. They are more likely to be found on a police blotter as opposed to a stat sheet. Armstrong, Hamilton, and Sweeny (2006) found, “a 1997 National Institute of Justice study estimated that between one-fifth and one-quarter of women are the victims of completed or attempted rape while in college” (p.483). Just think about your friends and realize one of them will have likely gone through something so traumatic. For these young women, the high incidence of sexual assault on college campuses is likely caused in part by alcohol consumption. The college lifestyle lends itself to partying and drinking. That combined with youthful reckless and risky behavior is a recipe for disaster. Alcohol and drugs lead to poor judgement and irrational decision-making. This often leaves students with regret over poor decisions, “buyer’s remorse”. After further reading Armstrong et al. (2006) suggests alcohol consumption by the victim, assailant or even both, accounts for half or even three-quarters of sexual assaults on college campuses (p. 483). Students at schools with large sports programs may even be more at risk for these crimes. Historically, schools attempted to hide these accusations and keep the victims quiet to preserve their reputation, keep athletes on the field
According to figure 9.1 in Doerner’s Victimology (2014), 27% of sexual assaults occur by a stranger, which means someone you know commits a whopping 73% of the sexual assaults. That includes relatives, friends, or even someone you have had an intimate relationship with (p. 230). The assaults often occur over faulty assumptions. For instance, a woman consents to sex hours ago. Later after drinking, one still cannot assume permission is place to have sex. Particularly when the victim is intoxicated, acting on severely impaired judgement! Unfortunately that is not the case. If people would only use discretion, be in more touch with their moral compass, better decision-making would result. I would argue that it won’t stop all sexual assaults but it would likely have a positive impact in reducing the number significantly. The consequences of these selfish acts are horrid, demeaning and unimaginable. They often leave victims with lifetime scars and emotional issues surrounding trust and intimacy. Only when people start changing the way they think and act, real strides can be made. Education is needed to help society better understand these …show more content…
Athletes in particular at schools big and small make news for all the wrong reasons. They are more likely to be found on a police blotter as opposed to a stat sheet. Armstrong, Hamilton, and Sweeny (2006) found, “a 1997 National Institute of Justice study estimated that between one-fifth and one-quarter of women are the victims of completed or attempted rape while in college” (p.483). Just think about your friends and realize one of them will have likely gone through something so traumatic. For these young women, the high incidence of sexual assault on college campuses is likely caused in part by alcohol consumption. The college lifestyle lends itself to partying and drinking. That combined with youthful reckless and risky behavior is a recipe for disaster. Alcohol and drugs lead to poor judgement and irrational decision-making. This often leaves students with regret over poor decisions, “buyer’s remorse”. After further reading Armstrong et al. (2006) suggests alcohol consumption by the victim, assailant or even both, accounts for half or even three-quarters of sexual assaults on college campuses (p. 483). Students at schools with large sports programs may even be more at risk for these crimes. Historically, schools attempted to hide these accusations and keep the victims quiet to preserve their reputation, keep athletes on the field