Azariah Courtney

A Pleasant Valley female stands outside the school, holding the pepper spray she has deemed as absolutely necessary when alone outdoors.

Society has changed greatly over time, especially in gaining the ability to talk about issues that have been considered taboo. Here’s an inimical one: rape. Over 17,700,000 women have reported sexual assault since 1998 and the importance of this topic has risen in recent years.

The definition of rape is an unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person’s will or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent.

As many people would love to argue, rape leads to charges which implicates a challenging, intertwining mix of politics that will inevitably end up in a rut. The issue of rape has nothing to do with politics. The issue of rape has to do with men forcing themselves on innocent women, damaging them for life.

Justice most certainly has to do with a grand political spectrum, but the root of the entirety of the problem lies within individuals. Instead of placing focus on women who have been sexually assaulted, there needs to be emphasis on the men who attack.

By no means does this mean that all men are evil; men and women each have their own roles in society that lead to a unique, functioning system. So many men have brought about good things in the world. And just as there are deeply evil, sick men, there are also evil, sick women who perform unspeakable acts.

But in regards to rape, discussions that are focused on what a woman should do to avoid rape are absolutely wrong. There should not be a single thing a woman should do to avoid being assaulted; although, there are intelligent behavioral tips that women should follow in order to stay safe in a dangerous world.

It is sad, yet it is the truth. Men will find a way to use force upon someone else to demean them and belittle them. These things are not just black and white; men will attack other men or young boys in such a manner, but there is a taboo upon women speaking up in cases of sexual assault.

Women have been told that short skirts and small tops invite a man and grab his attention in a way that implies she is asking for something. Of course if a woman is wearing revealing clothing, she may gain the attention of others. To state it blatantly, she may have expected this from the time she bought her outfit to the time she dressed herself. Yet, does this mean that her clothing is an invitation for sex?

Clothing has no correlation to what a woman wants sexually. Just as a woman in a full-body garment does not deserve to be raped, a woman in a mini-skirt and short top does not deserve to be raped.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter what a woman is wearing; it has no effect on the outcome of possible sexual assault. If a man feels the sick desire to assault her, he will find a way to get to her and attack her.

Tight clothing and flashing skin does not trigger a man in this way. No matter what attention-grabbing clothing a woman is wearing, a man who rapes and attacks a woman has solid intentions before noticing the articles of her clothing. Rapists’ intentions are not caused by racy clothing; they are fueled by their own sick intentions.

When discussing rape, there are many preventative measures to be discussed. Many include knowing one’s limits regarding alcohol consumption, watching one’s drinks and staying with friends at all times. These are smart tips that should be implemented in one’s life, but it is remarkably sad that this is the case.

Sexual assault is not a chance thing; it is not something that rarely occurs to an unfortunate woman. It is women walking to their car with their head down and hand over their panic button; it is cancelling an outdoor run when a woman’s friend can no longer accompany her; it is anxiety at parties to watch one’s drinks instead of dancing.

Women’s focuses have adapted to a deteriorating society; it is almost impossible for a woman to go throughout her day with normal tasks without implicitly imagining escape plans or looking for shadows over her shoulder.

Senior Julia Hillman understands this is a detrimental problem in society. Hillman said, “I think that experiencing sexual assault or sexual harassment of any kind can be damaging for women. From experience, it makes me think twice about where I’m going and who I’m with. I am very conscious about preventing myself from being in a potentially dangerous situation.”

The seemingly epidemic of sexual assault is inescapable in this day and age. At least 25 percent of female college students will be sexually assaulted before completing their undergraduate degree. In general on college campuses, only five percent of sexual assaults are reported.

Recent Pleasant Valley graduate Lauren Nelson is attending Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although Nelson did not consider the topic of sexual assault when initially choosing the institution in which she would attend, there has been a heavy focus on the topic as she entered school.

Nelson said, “As freshmen, we had to take a long two hour course over the topic of sexual assault and rape. There are so many different programs that people can partake in on the topic here at Marquette.”

Immersing students in programs providing knowledge on sexual assault and rape is an amazing implement to their everyday. From my experiences in high school settings, I firmly believe that many girls don’t understand the true nature of what assault is until they enter college and develop a greater understanding concerning rape.

Discussing the issue often allows women to think about experiences that have occurred to them and possibly recognize that something that has happened to them in the past was not appropriate. The #MeToo Movement is an exceptional example of discussing the touchy topic that many have tried to avoid in the past.

Hillman believes that the movement has aided many people; she said, “Talking about the #MeToo movement is moving our country forward because we can begin the discussion between men and women to help teach everyone what is appropriate. An important goal that has emerged with this movement is to help everyone feel safer in their environment whether it be at home, at work or at a party.”

Believing a victim in a case of sexual assault is detrimental; however, unfortunately, there have been women who have abused this and some men have been unjustly charged. Deeply upsetting to me, this has caused many to not take movements like #MeToo seriously, and therefore the entire point of the movement has vanished.

The world has become corrupt in so many ways, and liars, whomever they are, should be punished. Discussing this is detrimental. No matter what, people need to push through and demand from others that rape is, and never will be, acceptable.