Today, September 26th, is RAINN Day: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network’s annual day of action to end sexual assault on college campuses. RAINN is the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the country. Colleges around the country will be holding events to raise awareness and educate students. This topic is scarily relevant, considering that one in four college women will have survived a sexual assault by her graduation day.
Other statistics from the RAINN Website:
- 54% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police
- 97% of rapists will never spend a day in jail
- 2/3 of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim
RAINN also provides some back to school safety tips directing students to watch out for their friends, trust their gut, and “if you see something, say something.” While teaching people not to rape is the direct goal, bystander education is a preventive measure that can make a huge difference, especially on college campuses. If something doesn’t seem right, and you are brave enough to address it, you could stop a violent and degrading crime from being committed. Giving students the tools to intervene in situations like this is a crucial component of anti-sexual violence education, and I am proud to say that this was addressed in the Freshmen Orientation programming this year.
Display for RAINN Day at Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Each hand print is a pledge of non-violence by a passerby.
Today there will be tables set up in Wilson Commons with representatives from Women’s Caucus and campus offices such as Health Promotion, Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership, Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women’s Studies, and Title IX, offering information regarding rape and sexual assault. Students are encouraged to visit the table and gather tools and pamphlets to aid in the prevention of sexual violence on campus and in the community.
-Post created by Brianna Isaacson ’15 and Sara Lewis ’15
