Sexual assault on campuses around the country is and has been out of control for far too long. Changes need to be made at a greater community level, and even though blaming the victim is not going to improve anything, neither is blaming the university. Everyone is to blame.
Amplifying the numerous cases of sexual assault at MSU, students at UC Berkeley this week filed a federal complaint about the alleged “deliberate indifference” practiced by their university. Myriad cases at other universities continue to arise, all wondering what the university is failing to do, or, worse, is allowing to happen.
Let’s be honest and constructive about what we expect of universities. There are generally preventive, punitive and restorative (for lack of a better term) measures that the school can take. There seem to be few arguments against the preventive measures taken by universities to keep students safe. Campus police are available in the wider community, call boxes are ubiquitous and general dialogue among the MSU population supports buddy systems. Often, inconsistency in the punitive response, as with UC Berkeley, is what is called to question - after the crime has been committed. Some students are not punished for their role in sexual assault, and there are a number of cases of students continuing to commit sexual assault after initially receiving minor reprimands. Counseling and support groups for victims make up the restorative response, and I am unaware of complaints about how the university handles this phase of reaction. The blame leveled at the university seems misplaced on punitive measures.
Considering punitive action by the university, one still must retain the objectivity of our legal system. Unfortunately, even in our wider society beyond MSU, sexual assault charges need to be made within a specific time frame to retain valid evidence. However, a timely accusation may result in what may be perceived by the accuser as skepticism. Although I imagine there is little worse than being told a sexual assault accusation is frivolous, protection of both parties is the responsibility of the university. There have been cases of false accusations that destroy reputations and careers, and even though that pales in comparison to the reality of being sexually assaulted, it is a reality that can be prevented by thoughtful action by the university. That which can be prevented is better than trying to rectify that which has already happened.
Preventing sexual assault is where the crosshairs of student discontent should lie, and it is the job of more than just the university. I mean to blame everyone until it is righted. I blame those who assault for being depraved and sociopathic; incapable of meaningful relationships. I blame students for allowing, if not outright supporting, their rapist friends. I don’t blame the victim for being assaulted, but I do blame some for drinking until they pass out. I blame their friends for not taking them home. I blame the party culture and awkward sexuality produced by our greater culture’s fear of sex. I also blame the shift in thinking about rape.
In an attempt to increase the understanding of the severity of date rape, Americans began to lump date rape together with rape - and headlines tend to use “sexual assault.” The point was to make the distinction blurred, but an unintended and unfortunate outcome was that people stopped focusing on the differences.
Last semester, The State News ran an editorial cartoon that showed two students passing along the river and implied that preventing assault was as easy as not throwing the girl in the bushes and raping her. My understanding is that aside from the serial assaults last year for which the perpetrator is currently awaiting sentencing, most assaults are happening in dorms and houses - not behind dumpsters and in alleys. We are trying to address “rape” when we need to change the culture that allows “date rape.”
Throwing blame around from victims to the university is a fruitless endeavor. The point is that we want to prevent sexual assaults from happening. Period. That begins with the students and the culture of the university, and by extension the entire country. Responsibility and safety need to work their way into student priorities alongside “get laid” and “get drunk.”
Mark McCarthy, graduate student
mccar316@msu.edu
