Spring Break
Victims of violence take back the night
Briana Monasky
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Features
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Jane knew Jake. He was a friend of a friend. An acquaintance. So how could this have happened? How could she be walking home from a party with her underpants in her pocket and the beginnings of a bruise on her smooth cheek?
Jane's story is one similar to so many survivor's of sexual assault. In three out of four sexual assaults, the survivor knows the attacker. This may be an eye opening fact for many.
Stranger assaults, or sexual assaults where the attacker is unknown, are far more rare than people assume, said Jessica Heskin, advocate for Sacramento State's violence and sexual assault support services. Heskin said she has only personally spoken with survivors from stranger assaults twice in her career.
"I never thought this could happen to me," Jane said. "My attacker was a mutual friend - someone I had known. My own experience has opened my eyes to the real facts of sexual assault."
April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and Sac State has several events planned to increase awareness.
April 17 marks the 10th anniversary of Take Back the Night at Sac State. This year's event starts at 6 p.m. and will be located in the Hinde Auditorium.
The event is being co-sponsored with Women Escaping A Violent Environment and the GAMMAS, part of the Sac State Greek community.
The executive director of WEAVE will be a speaker at the event. The evening will culminate with a march around the campus that males are encouraged to get involved in.
The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network is also working to communicate information on this issue.
"College women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group. That's why it's so important that students are aware of possible risks and know how and where to get help if they need it," RAINN President Scott Berkowitz said.
Heskin is planning on-campus events to provide this significant information locally.
"It is important that we bring these things out into the open," Heskin said. "It is imperative that we get campus and community dialogue going about it."
The dialogue Heskin hopes to produce is that of myth dispelling.
"People who are survivors are portrayed as weak - even shattered," Heskin said. "The fact is these women are some of the strongest people I've ever met."
The majority of crimes, whether they are a car jacking, murder or home invasion, can end in psychological examination of the criminal. Rape and sexual assaults are one of the few crimes which society and communities tend to examine the behavior of the victim, Heskin said.
The strength of these survivors can be considered astounding considering what they've gone through. Sexual assault can be difficult to understand psychologically. Perhaps understanding why these disasters happen can help them occur less, Heskin said.
"In terms of sexual assault, it is not about sex," Heskin said. "It's about power and control. That's the basics of it."
Many lay blame on the victim, whether it is because of what she wore that night or delving into what she said and whether the victim's actions made the attacker choose her, Heskin said.
"These discussions can turn into a female-bashing session," Heskin said. "And these ideals are not fair or correct. The main issue involving predators is their need for control over another human being. That's their whole gig. That's what they do."
Events like these can be used to shed light on the misunderstood subject.
It is most important to keep the focus of the discussion on the predator, avoiding placing any of the blame on the victim.
Perpetrators come in all races, genders and ethnicities.
Ninety-eight percent of perpetrators are male, meaning 2 percent of attacks come from female assailants, Heskin said.
Fifty-two percent of assailants are Caucasian, according to RAINN.org.
Among other myths to dispel is the idea that women participating in events similar to Take Back the Night are "man-haters." The college-age population should be the first age bracket to change these negative societal expectations.
Deep down, Heskin believes that the problem is the idea of the female being at fault. This issue perpetuated is what makes it hard for these types of crimes to end in convictions, Heskin said.
Above incorrect perceptions about these crimes, women should come out to these events for training on how to be more careful.
"We do various self-defense seminars," Heskin said. "These are not the type model-mugging things. The biggest thing in terms of safety against sexual violence involves alcohol."
Eighty-five percent of sexual assaults involve alcohol.
In one in three sexual assaults, the perpetrator was intoxicated - 30 percent with alcohol and 4 percent with drugs, according to RAINN.org.
In social settings, staying with your friends and being vocal can make the difference.
Simply having a close friend keep his or her eye on you and your drink can discourage an attacker from pursuing you. If a stranger knows someone will be looking for you if you leave the room with them, they may be less likely to ask you in the first place.
If you do end up in a situation, letting your attacker know you are uncomfortable by screaming, kicking and making a scene may end the attack.
Seventy-six percent of women who verbally give their attacker a piece of their mind get out of their attacks, Heskin said.
Be assertive. And above all, trust your gut.
"During training sessions, we have a lot of women determine what's comfortable for them," Heskin said. "Each woman stands while someone walks in a straight line toward her. She says stop when she's uncomfortable."
If women consciously know their levels of comfort and listen to their inner voice of reason, many attacks could be avoided.
College males openly talking about sexual assault could also open eyes and produce change.
"If you're tired of the way things are, change it," Heskin said. "I may not be a member of the gender perpetrating this crime, but I certainly believe I can provide tools for change."
Briana Monasky can be reached at bmonasky@statehornet.com
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