Students Stopping Rape

Prop 83 Holds On to Myth of Rapists

posted by Admin (Our Press)

by Katie Mahon
[ View original Daily Nexus article ]

As a feminist and active member of the anti-rape movement, I am writing to urge you to vote no on Proposition 83 - Jessica’s Law - on the Nov. 7 ballot. Since September, the governor has signed two bills, SB 1128 and SB 1178, that require GPS tracking for high-risk sex offenders and increase penalties for others. These new laws cover 80 percent of the components that make up Proposition 83. The rest of the proposition includes prohibiting registered sex offenders from living within 2000 feet of a school or park and enforcing lifetime GPS tracking for all registered sex offenders. Although the proposition has good intentions, the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault and many other anti-rape organizations strongly oppose Prop 83 because it perpetuates myths about sexual violence in our society, pushes registered offenders into rural areas of the state, encourages many offenders not to register and will end up costing the state millions of dollars every year.

By forcing registered sex offenders to wear GPS monitoring devices, Jessica’s Law perpetuates one of the most dangerous myths about sexual violence, the myth that rapists and child molesters are strangers to the people that they attack. On a college campus, it is estimated that 98 percent of survivors know their rapist. Nationwide, it is estimated that 90 percent of abused children are abused by someone that they know. By forcing registered sex offenders to wear these monitoring devices, lawmakers are perpetuating the belief that child molesters are strangers that jump out of bushes or lure children into their cars. This law does not address the real issue: The huge majority of perpetrators of sexual violence are friends, acquaintances and family members of the people they attack.

It is also important to recognize the fact that the huge majority of sex offenders are never reported to law enforcement and an even larger percentage are not prosecuted. If passed, this law would not address over 85 percent of sex offenders and would provide individuals with a false sense of security around the issue of sexual violence.

If Jessica’s Law passes in California, residency restrictions will force sex offenders out of urban areas that are packed with schools and parks and into more rural areas. Unfortunately, in these rural areas, there are fewer means to monitor sex offenders and fewer services to help survivors of sexual violence.

Jessica’s Law will also deter many sex offenders from registering at all. In Iowa, where there are similar residency restrictions, law enforcement agencies have gone from knowing where 90 percent of sex offenders live to less than 55 percent. Measures can and should be taken to rehabilitate sex offenders in our society. The residency restrictions that are included in Prop 83 would make it more difficult to reach sex offenders and offer them these services.

Finally, Jessica’s law will cost the state of California millions of dollars every year. It is incredibly important that this money is put into programs that rehabilitate sex offenders and educate the public around issues of sexual violence rather than being put into programs that perpetuate false ideas about sexual violence and do little to put an end to it.

When you head out to the polls Tuesday, please remember to vote no on Prop 83. This initiative will not ensure the safety of our children, but rather continue to perpetuate myths about sexual violence and will cost the state of California millions and millions of dollars every year.

Katie Mahon is a fourth-year sociology and communication major and Students Stopping Rape Coordinator.

Coalition Calls for Rape Truce, Assault-Free Day

posted by Admin (Our Press, I Want a Truce)

[ View original Daily Nexus article ]

In preparation for what they have declared as a rape and sexual assault-free weekend, members of Students Stopping Rape will table in front of the Women’s Center this week to educate passersby on how they can help.

The fourth annual “I Want a Truce” campaign builds off feminist and writer Andrea Dworkin’s idea of a 24-hour “truce” in which no rape or sexual assaults occur. While the SSR expands the truce to last the full weekend, the concept that sexual assault is like a war against women remains the same.

“It’s less trying to stop rape for a weekend, but for the rest of our lives,” Katie Mahon, SSR coordinator and fourth-year sociology and communication major, said. “It starts by getting a conversation started.”

In addition to tabling this week, SSR, which is part of UCSB’s Rape Prevention Education Program, will walk along Del Playa Drive and Sabado Tarde Road in Isla Vista on Friday night, handing out candy and condoms as part of their campaign for safe and consensual sex.

To create this assault-free weekend, students will be asked to sign an “I Want a Truce” pledge in exchange for a free T-shirt. The pledge states that the signer will not sexually assault, harass or participate in rape culture by objectifying, catcalling or harassing anyone during the weekend.

“We’re not going to stop it in one day,” Rachel Turner, SSR educator and second-year psychology major, said. “But it really is an eye opener and hopefully it will get people to be less judgmental and more sensitive to the cause.”

Similar events are scheduled to take place in residence halls during the week, including a discussion about street harassment that occurred in Santa Cruz Hall yesterday, a movie night tonight at 8 in Francisco Torres, and an activity called “Guess the Rapist” tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in Anacapa Hall. Tonight’s FT movie, “Speak,” is a Lifetime Original Movie about a high school girl who was raped and as a result of her trauma, stopped talking.

“We’re not going to get the job done by adding more blue lights on campus or increasing the amount of CSO officers, but through talking and educating people about it,” Mahon said.

According to statistics, Mahon said, one in four women at UCSB will be the victim of rape or sexual assault by the time they graduate; and according to another study, less than five percent of rape incidents are reported each year.

“Last year, we got a lot of support from both men and women alike,” Mahon said. “It’s really empowering.”

Columnist Misunderstand “Truce” Campaign, Rape

posted by Admin (Our Press, I Want a Truce)

[ View original Daily Nexus article ]

The article “Isla Vista Brothel to Curb Rapists” (Daily Nexus, Oct. 23) was quite offensive and not humorous at all. Zach Phillips clearly misunderstands the huge difference between sex and rape. Let me make it clear for you: rape is not sex. The fact that rape is caused by a man’s uncontrollable sexual drive is a complete myth and not a cause for joking. In case you did not already know, sexual assault is an act of physical and emotional violence, and not an act of sexual gratification. Men assault other women and men in order to dominate, humiliate, control, degrade, terrify, violate and make them feel inferior. So therefore, no, rape is not remotely close to sex.

Phillips obviously also misunderstood the whole purpose of “I Want a Truce.” We were not trying to “squelch the inner rapist in countless sex offenders,” but trying to spread awareness and educate people about such a big issue that unfortunately affects all of us in the community. When Phillips said that “the only real option for effectively preventing rapists is to divert them somewhere away from Isla Vista,” he was not taking into consideration the fact that 99 percent of rape cases are caused by someone the victim knows and even trusts, such as his or her boyfriend, friend, date or relative. We cannot distinguish a rapist-to-be among ourselves, since it could be anyone you or we know.

As a victim of rape myself, and someone who has been working really hard to promote a sexual assault-free environment, I am sure I speak on behalf of other people as well when I suggest you think twice before you make such rude, ignorant and offensive comments. It just deeply saddens me to see that there are people in this world who are not aware of this rape culture and believe articles like this to be “funny.”

As a fellow Students Stopping Rape girl said in response to your article, “This does not in any way invalidate our work as a group of like-minded, multifaceted individuals, but it does add to our fire and gives us more to resolve.”

Just some food for thought. Thank you.

DEBORAH SVIDLER

Know the Evils of Sexual Assault

posted by Admin (Our Press, It Affects Me)

by Katie Mahon
[ View original Daily Nexus article ]

By now you have seen the hundreds of blue shirts lining the bike paths. By now you have been to a workshop, listened to a speaker or “guessed the rapist.” By now you have talked to a peer educator about sexual violence. By now you have worn and you understand your own blue shirt. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, by now you realize that you are affected by rape, sexual violence and rape culture.

You realize that one in four women will be the victim of rape or attempted rape by the time that she graduates from college and you realize that men are also survivors of sexual violence. As a man you realize that a woman might be afraid of you because she cannot tell the difference between a man who is safe and a man who is dangerous. You realize that you live in a society in which sexism is celebrated on MTV. You realize that you live in a culture where rape is allowed to happen.

So, now what do you do? What part can you play in ending sexual violence?

Start small. Think about the language that you use. The next time that you hear a friend call someone a slut, ho, skank or whore, recognize that these words punish women who engage in consensual sex and contribute to an overall culture of sexism. Ask her to choose a new word. The next time that you hear a communication professor use the word pussy, recognize that he is comparing something that he sees as weak to a woman and is perpetuating the belief that women are weaker than men. Call him on it. The next time that you hear someone make a joke about rape, ask him to think deeply about what exactly he is laughing at. Make these changes in your own vocabulary as well.

Think about how rape survivors are treated. If someone tells you that she has been sexually assaulted, always believe and never blame her. Give her the opportunity to tell her story, but never ask questions like, “What were you drinking?” or “What were you doing in his room?” because questions like these blame survivors for actions committed against them. Give her support, but never tell her what to do.

Talk to people about sexual violence. Talk about sexual violence in general. The problem of sexual assault is never going to be solved if people do not talk openly about it.

Go bigger. Educate yourself and others about the definitions of sexual assault and consent. Recognize the myths that surround sexual violence. Write letters to the editor of your newspaper when you see injustice and inequality in your community. Turn off MTV. Read books and articles about violence against women, recommend them to friends and loved ones - my favorites include I Never Called it Rape, by Robin Warshaw and Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood, and Privilege on Campus, by Peggy Sanday. Stop “rating” and yelling at women outside Sam’s To Go and from your DP balconies. Call Mark Batalla on the sexist cartoons that he draws and allows in the Nexus. Take a Women’s Studies class, hell, take several Women’s Studies classes. Vote for politicians who include ending violence against women in their platforms and hold these politicians accountable to their promises. Imagine new ways to end sexual violence and share these ideas with others.

Recognize the interconnections of oppressions. Know that, as Audre Lorde says, we cannot afford the luxury of fighting one form of oppression only. Understand that ending sexual violence means ending sexism, racism, heterosexism, ablism, agism and all of the other inequalities that exist in our world.

Realize that there are people who want to work with you on this issue. Join Students Stopping Rape, Men Against Rape, Take Back the Night, WETT, or one of the other groups on campus that work to eradicate sexual violence. Call the Women’s Center at 893-3778 for more information.

Understand that “yes” means “yes” and everything else means “no.” If you are unsure, ask. If you are still unsure, stop.

Katie Mahon is a junior communication and sociology major and a co-coordinator for Students Stopping Rape.

Student Groups Team Up to Stop Sexual Assault

posted by Admin (Our Press, It Affects Me)

[ View original Daily Nexus article ]

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Monday marked the start of the fifth annual It Affects Me campaign, which reminds students of the estimated 300 sexual assaults that take place in the UCSB community every year.

Co-sponsoring the weeklong event is campus organization Students Stopping Rape (SSR), members of which will be wearing their signature blue shirts emblazoned with “It Affects Me” while handing out pamphlets, helping host games such as “Guess the Rapist,” and even putting on a concert later in the week.

SSR Co-Coordinator and third-year communications and sociology major Katie Mahon said sexual assault is a more serious problem at UCSB than police records would suggest, as only about 5 percent of cases are reported. These statistics are similar throughout the country, she said.

“It’s estimated that there are between 300 and 500 cases of sexual assault each year [at UCSB],” she said. “There’s no way of knowing, because the cases don’t get reported to anyone. One in four women nationwide will be sexually assaulted by the time they graduate from college.”

Sexual assault is not limited to rape, Mahon said.

“Sexual assault is walking down [Del Playa Drive] and having someone grab your butt,” she said. “It’s guys catcalling from their balconies.”

As the group’s moniker implies, Mahon said SSR hopes to put a stop to an extremely common and often ignored crime.

“Our goal is to end sexual assault in the community and then the world,” she said. “The idea is that we educate students [and] the Isla Vista population about how sexual assault affects people. Everyone’s affected by it.”

Several other on-campus organizations, such as Men Against Rape and Queer Student Union, are also partaking in the weeklong campaign, Mahon said.

“Our main idea this year was to get other groups involved,” she said. “Last fall we had a meeting, that we invited about 20 groups to, called ‘It Affects Us’; then we invited them all back for this [year].”

The groups will table through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Women’s Center lawn and pass out free T-shirts, pins, pencils and CDs. They will also be accepting donations for the campaign.

The campaign began yesterday with MUJER’s “Women of Juarez” presentation in the Women’s Center library and continues today with a workshop hosted by QSU at 3 p.m. in the Graduate Lounge. Men Against Rape’s “Guess the Rapist” presentation will also be held at 8 tonight in the Anacapa Residence Hall recreation room.

On Wednesday, the MultiCultural Center Theater will screen “NO!: The Rape Documentary” at 6 p.m.

Former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson will speak in front of the Women’s Center during a rally from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a Medusa concert on Friday at 9 p.m. in the Hub. All events are free.

“We’re trying to get to the source of the problem,” Mahon said. “Fixing the source will be better than helping the problem after the fact.”

Sexual Assault, Silence Are a One-Two Punch

posted by Admin (Our Press, It Affects Me)

By Susan Landgraff
[ View original 93106 Newsletter article. ]

‘Sexual assault is part of a sexual violence continuum that includes verbal harassment…’

This week, Students Stopping Rape will sponsor its fifth annual “It Affects Me” campaign as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. A student-led group working with the Women’s Center’s Rape Prevention Education Program, Students Stopping Rape’s goal is to raise awareness about rape and sexual assault.

The campaign is based on the idea that sexual assaults are happening in epidemic proportions, but almost never talked about. There is a high chance that you know, work with, or teach someone who is a survivor of sexual assault. The combination of widespread sexual assault, and silence about it, affects us all.

Many people do not realize how prevalent sexual assault is in our community and in the nation. One out of every four women will experience a sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault perpetrated by a man by the time that she graduates from college, according to surveys done at colleges nationwide by Mary Koss and Bonnie Fisher in 1987 and 2000, respectively.

Of the 50 sexual assaults reported to the UCSB Rape Prevention Education Program every year, 98 percent are perpetrated by someone the survivor thought she could trust. The national surveys tell us that these reported assaults represent about 5 percent of the actual number, mostly due to survivors’ fear of being blamed, ostracized, or not believed. We all have a duty to work toward eliminating sexual assault and the rape culture that perpetuates it.

April 17th through 21st, Students Stopping Rape will be handing out free, bright blue “It Affects Me” t-shirts, and will be asking that staff and faculty wear them. This year, many of the week’s workshops will be co-sponsored with other campus organizations, including Mujer, Queer Student Union, SCORE, INDUS, Womyn’s Commission, CIA, Take Back the Night, and Men Against Rape. There will be a student-led rally on the Women’s Center lawn on Thursday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a concert by Medusa in The Hub on Friday, starting at 9 p.m., will end the program.

In addition to attending these events, you can create change on your own by realizing that what you say, as well as what you allow others to say, may have a negative impact on sexual assault survivors and others affected by such assaults. Sexual assault is part of a sexual violence continuum that includes verbal harassment and any type of unwanted sexual contact.

Comments supporting myths about sexual assault, such as “women always lie about it,” “only certain types of people are assaulted,” and “if she hadn’t been wearing that/dancing like that/drinking that she wouldn’t have been raped,” perpetuate the rape culture by blaming the victim of the crime. At the same time, this type of thinking releases a perpetrator, who is usually male, from personal responsibility for his decision to harm another human being.

Most UCSB faculty members and staff supervisors have recently completed sexual harassment training that underscores the role of communication in illegal and demeaning behavior.

For information on the workshops or for resources regarding rape and sexual assault, contact the Women’s Center at x3778. For information about sexual harassment training programs for faculty and staff supervisors, go to [www.sa.ucsb.edu/women%27scenter/sexualharassment/index.asp].

Susan Landgraff is assistant director of the UCSB Rape Prevention Education Program.