Letter From the Editor: Rape Affects Entire Community, So Help Take Back the Night

I have many neurotic fears. I am frightened that there might be a serial killer lurking in my dorm bathroom in the middle of the night, I am afraid of the fictional characters in horror films, and I am terrified by the popularity of those annoying Italian charm bracelets (or perhaps the end of real personal expression that they seem to signify).

On a more serious note, I am afraid of rape. I say that I am afraid "of rape" rather than "of being raped" because, while the idea of personally being raped is incredibly scary, I do not think about it nearly as much as I ponder my fear of living in a world where rapes occur... a world where rape is, in fact, quite common.

A friend suggested that after last week's letter focusing on Eating Disorders Awareness Week, perhaps this week I should address an issue that affected everyone, rather than "really just women." Putting aside that women comprise 50 percent of the population, I realized that neither eating disorders nor rape affect "just women," even if women experience them directly more often than men. Both women and men are raped, but, most importantly, rape affects everyone.

There is a rape once every six minutes in the United States, according to Campus Outreach Services, a rape awareness organization. There are enough men raping women in our country for the average amount of times to be one every six minutes. The frequency of rapes is one symptom of a larger mindset problem: there are enough men who feel justified in raping women to cause that shocking statistic. Taking it a step further, something or someone - or some combination of the two - is giving many men the impression that they have a right to rape women. A Department of Justice study of 8,000 women found that 25 percent reported that they had been assaulted or raped by a current or former spouse or partner or date in their lifetime.

When I say that I am scared of rape, I mean that I am scared of a culture whose messages foster so many rapes. This is not to say that rape does not occur in other parts of the world, it certainly does, but that occurrence elsewhere does not make rape in the United States any less terrible. Furthermore, of the countries that publish rape statistics, the US has the highest rate. We, as a society, tell men that rape is ok... or at least we do not tell them that it is not ok.

Rape is a hush topic. Women are reluctant to report rapes because of pervasive myths about sexual assault. There is constant talk of whether or not a woman "really wanted it," "asked for it" by inviting a man to her room or wearing a short skirt, or whether she "tried hard enough" to fight off an attacker. As long as the stigma and skepticism are directed toward rape victims, potential rapists are being told that no one really cares about women, and they should not either. These messages serve to reinforce ideas that some men have about their right to dominate and abuse women.

Two additional frightening statistics: 85 percent of all rape victims knew their assailants, and every 21 hours there is a rape committed on every college campus in the US. Rape, particularly date rape, is a problem that affects the entire college community.

Tuesday is the annual Take Back the Night rally, a protest against the fear many women have about walking the streets at night. The protest features speakers that talk about rape and what we can do to combat it. If you have never been to it, I encourage you to go. If you go every year, I still encourage you to go. I'll be there, in the hopes that we are making at least a small change.