This month we recognize sexual assault awareness month and the Central Connecticut campus is holding events to bring light to the difficult subject.
Beginning in the 1970s, women began the Take Back the Night marches, where they protested against violence frequently encountered late at night while walking the streets.
Forty-six years later that tradition continues throughout the country, especially on college campuses – including CCSU. Sexual assault has gone from a topic that was once hushed and suppressed, to becoming a staple conversation in all college campuses and work places.
The mission is to bring voices to victims and empower them to know that they are not alone now and will never be. Through the work of countless organizations including No More, RAAIN (rape, abuse and incest national network) and locally, Stand Up CCSU, the message of making unity and prevention against sexual assault has been made clear. We, under no circumstances will stand for it. We will do everything to prevent it and will do everything to assure the victims that we will look after them. Now more than ever are we working towards prosecuting those predators that prey on the innocent.
Daniel Ken Holtzclaw, a Oklahoma police officer was found guilty of the 18 out of the 36 counts of sexual assaults he faced. He preyed on defenseless black women and used his authority to get them to preform sexual acts to avoid jail time. It’s becoming a topic within politicians as one gets set to be the future president, all eyes are on how incoming politicians will handle this issue.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden recently started The White House campaign “It’s On Us,” to continue the conversation of sexual assault on college campuses – making sure it doesn’t leave as he prepares to depart the White House.
The movie “The Hunting Ground” has exposed the holes within major universities reporting of sexual assaults. This movie has pinpointed how many universities refuse to publicly address sexual assault incidents in fear of it hurting enrollments on campus. Ivy Leagues are even among the accused of doing this, showing how it doesn’t matter if you are in the best schools of the nation – this can happen to you.
Beyond college campuses, there has been a new conversation about sexual assault brought on through our television screens. We witnessed Lady Gaga preform her nominated song “Till It Happens To You” alongside other sexual assault victims during the 2016 Oscar ceremony. Among the ranks of survivors that were a part of that performance stood a CEO, one who was also a survivor and an advocate.
It’s important for us to continue to hold such events on college campuses, such as Take Back the Night, and continue to give a voice to those who feel like they don’t have one. We must provide the safe space for victims to come to and feel comfortable in, and inspire more assault victims to come forward and report what the horrors that have happened to them. Only together can we continue to give this movement more momentum and institute change in this world and within our own communities.