This letter is in response to a letter that appeared in last Monday’s paper under the headline “ ‘Rape culture’ label is not justified at OU.”
When we, as a group of individuals, gathered to proclaim that sexual assault is a problem on campus, we did not make an assertion. Nor did we raise an inquiry. We stated a fact: Rape culture exists on this campus. The validity of this claim is inherent within its conception as an idea. What rape culture and its proponents suggest is that sexual violence is a mutated branch of sexism. It is a culture where predatory actions on the part of one group of individuals (often cis-men) are acted out at the expense of another (often cis-women). All people are potential victims and potential assailants, but the majority of cases involve men assaulting women. Thankfully, there are substantial means to use as a test to this claim beyond irrelevant police and court statistics. First, there are many research-based answers to the concerns outlined in the letter. I highly advise everyone convinced that sexual assault is not prevalent to familiarize themselves with the work of Ohio University’s own Christine Gidycz and the Sexual Assault Research and Prevention lab in Porter Hall. Dr. Gidycz and others in her field (sexual assault research) have shown time and time again that those who experience a sexual assault either do not perceive their assault as such, do not report the assault, or have difficulty reporting due to police insensitivity or lack of evidence for conviction. This is the reason that one must not use police records or convictions to discuss rape culture.
If you want to see some reasons why people are hesitant to report sexual assault, I recommend you watch the coverage of the Steubenville rape case; watch the media’s portrayal of the assailants. Look at the reports of the infamous Maryville, Mo., case. A 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted, her mother was fired for filing charges and, eventually, the family’s house mysteriously burnt to the ground. Closer to home, a woman mistakenly identified as the woman in the Chase bank incident was forced to leave campus over the amount of harassment she faced. Hopefully, this clears up why there have been eight reported cases of assault and one conviction.
The letter left us with a challenge to convince the author (a self-proclaimed feminist) and presumably many readers, that the crisis at hand warrants the use of the term “rape culture.” Let me be clear: The validation of this movement stems from empirical research and, more importantly, the lives of countless people who have been and will be harmed by sexual violence and objectification. I support this movement because I am concerned with healing wounds, preventing pain, and working toward a world, a country, and a campus where all forms of violence are reprehensible. Do you really think that “rape culture” is too strong of a term? Does it offend your sensibilities? Fine, here is my challenge to you: Find out why the movement exists and what you can do to help make it obsolete.
Ryan Vollrath is a senior studying history and psychology.
