April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and across the nation students will engage in events to spread awareness and discuss the prevention of sexual assault.
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, sexual assault is a crime in which one person knowingly causes another person to engage in unwanted sexual act. Sexual assault can be a form of domestic or intimate partner violence, and usually occurs between two people who know each other. Sexual assault often occurs in the form of forced vaginal or anal penetration, forced oral sex or unwanted bodily touching.
Sexual assault is a matter of power and control and occurs when one individual believes themself to be superior and more powerful than another individual. The sexual violence that arises out of these power dynamics is not restricted to men or straight couples, but also occurs in LGBTQ relationships.
There are many myths that surround sexual assault. An example is the myth that rapes are perpetrated by strangers jumping out of bushes in the night, but we know the majority of the time it’s someone the victim knows.
PAVE stresses the need for allies to combat rape-supportive culture. In this type of society, sexual violence is often considered to be “just something that happens” and widespread victim blaming. This is unacceptable, and sexual violence is never a victim’s fault. However, in a rape-supportive culture, there are some who don’t see it that way, and PAVE is working to combat that.
Throughout April, PAVE is hosting a series of events to better inform students about sexual assault, how to support survivors and more. Some of these events include: A Day of Unity on April 10, a reading discussion on the Impact of Pornography on April 15 co-sponsored with Sex Out Loud and a panel with Feministing bloggers Zerlina Maxwell and Chloe Angyal on April 24.
Sexual assault victims at the University of Wisconsin can call the Rape Crisis Center’s 24-hour hotline at 608-251-RAPE for immediate assistance. University Health Services also offers counseling, both scheduled and drop-in, for UW students who have been victims of sexual assault.
Monday night at 7 p.m. in the PAVE Office at the Student Activity Center #3147, PAVE is hosting our General Member Meeting. Anyone looking to learn more about this issue and help out during this busy month is more than welcome to attend.
PAVE is a student organization dedicated to preventing sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking on the UW-Madison campus through education and activism. PAVE’s general member meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on April 8 in the PAVE office, room #3147 of the Student Activity Center. For more information or to find out how to get involved, e-mail communications.pave@gmail.com.
