‘Consent is Sexy’: Panel discussion raises awareness on sexual assault

Every 107 seconds another American becomes a victim of sexual assault. Each year there are approximately 293,000 men and women targeted.

On March 10, UHCL’s Intercultural Student Services (ISS) hosted “Consent is Sexy,” a panel discussion designed to raise awareness about sexual responsibility, consent, relationships and violence.

Featured panelists were Carrie Enriquez, legal advocate, Bay Area Turning Point;Natalie Stigall, primary prevention coordinator, The Bridge Over Troubled Waters; and Stephanie Day, outreach coordinator of UHCL Counseling Services

The discussion topics ranged from sexual responsibility in relationships and consent to sexual violence. ISS hopes to inform students about these issues to prevent any tragic incidents. The discussion panel provided a way for all students, new to the school environment or not, to get informed, ask questions, share concerns or simply join in discussion with other fellow classmates and staff.

“I definitely think it’s important to raise awareness for consent and overall sexual violence because consent is a very important aspect of a healthy relationship,” said Genesis Granados, student ambassador for cultural programming in the ISS office.

“The Hunting Ground”

The culture of rape at colleges has become so pervasive that a 2015 documentary called “The Hunting Ground” was made to bring national awareness. The film focuses on sexual assault incidents students encountered on college campuses throughout the U.S. “The Hunting” was nominated for an academy award this year.

Critics of the film have questioned the statistics used, but The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) reports 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. A NSVRC study shows that more than 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault.

Sexual assaults on college campuses can occur in any type of school environment from community colleges to Ivy League universities. UHCL’s ISS wanted to bring light to this problem by providing a venue where students’ questions could be answered in a safe environment.

Why survivors keep quiet

Sexual assault is one of the least reported crimes in America; on average 68 percent of cases go unreported. In a study conducted by Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, 32 out of 100 rapes get reported to the police, seven lead to an arrest, three are referred to a prosecutor, two lead to a felony conviction and two rapists will spend a single day in prison.

The reasons behind keeping quiet vary based on the person; common reasons include but are not limited to: victims not wanting others to know because they feel ashamed of what happened to them, victims not knowing what procedures to take, fear of police not believing them and not knowing how much control they may actually have if they report the incident.

“Society tends to victim blame, saying things like ‘you shouldn’t have been drinking that’ or ‘you shouldn’t have been wearing that;’ this puts the focus on the survivor when in reality the one to blame is the perpetrator,” Granados said.

Rape and sexual assault: A renewed call to action

In 1994 then-senator Joe Biden authored the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to bring the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault into the national spotlight. Thereafter, many organizations have become a source of light to those affected by sexual assault, providing hotlines and creating rape crisis centers.

Despite efforts to decrease the number of sexual assaults and violence, rape and sexual assault statistics remained high. In March 2013, President Barrack Obama signed the third reauthorization of VAWA, which provides states, tribes and local communities with unprecedented resources to combat sexual assault.

With this reauthorization came new laws protecting students on college campuses. Title IX requires schools receiving federal funding to take the necessary steps to prevent sexual assault on their campus and to respond quickly and effectively when an assault occurs.

Staying safe on campus

A Campus Sexual Assault study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice found that most college victims are assaulted by someone they know, and parties tend to be a popular site for these crimes. The Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) study found that 58 percent of incapacitated rapes and 28 percent of forced rapes took place at a party. Perpetrators often prey on incapacitated women and sometimes provide their victims with drugs or alcohol.

RAINN has a list of tips for staying safe on campus as well as how to avoid any sort of sexual assault on and off campus.

If assaulted there are several steps students can take. First and foremost, they can go to the police department and report the incident. The police will ensure the students’ safety and file a criminal report if a student requests it. If students do not feel comfortable reporting to the police, they can go to anyone on staff or faculty to talk about it, report their situation or ask what their options are.

There are two kinds of reporters under Title IX: confidential reporters and mandatory reporters. Mandatory reporters, such as the dean of students and other staff or faculty on campus, must report the incident to the Title IX coordinator. Counseling Services and The Health Center are 100 percent confidential, meaning they cannot report the incident.

“Do not be embarrassed to come talk to us about a situation like this,” said Dean of Students David Rachita. “We are not going to judge; we are not going to blame. We are going to do everything in our power to get you the services that you need, so that you can focus on your studies which is why you are here.”

UPDATED 3/24/16: This article was updated to correct the names of the featured panelists. Natalie Stigall and Stephanie Day were not listed. Lisa Pool and Kimberly James were incorrectly listed as panelists.