Sexual Assault
TODAY
The latest news in Sexual Assualt’ societal presence
THE SOCIAL ISSUE of sexual assault includes more than rape; it encompasses verbal sexual harassment, ideas of consent, groping, intoxicated sexual activities and more. WHERE can these topics be viewed today?
2018
The Conversation Social Media & Hashtags
In modern popular culture, sexual assault is coming to the forefront of the political discussion with movements like #MeToo, #BelieveSurvivors, #WhyIDidn’tReport, and more. Unfortunately, these movements also conflict with another underlying facet of popular culture: the presence of rape
He said, she said
Our society still tends to promote victim blaming and the idea that it is the victim’s responsibility to avoid being assaulted or keep quiet about it so as not to “ruin” someone’s life, instead of emphasizing that it is the perpetrator’s responsibility not to commit the act in the first place.
Politics in the Courtroom
Many people debated whether Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing over accusations of raping Dr. Christine Ford should have been treated like a job interview or a criminal trial. This situation presented an obvious parallel to Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill years prior.
What are we really teaching our kids?
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For years, sexual assault has been a prevalent issue in high schools, middle schools, and even elementary schools. According to certain studies, 53% of high school girls have been sexually assaulted, 20% have been sexually assaulted at their school, and 12% have been raped. Though the prevalence was statistically clear, in the past schools have avoided bringing it up in the classroom. However, as the #MeToo movement started to gain more attention
“They are all innocent until proven guilty. But not me. I am a liar until I am proven honest.” -Louise O’Neill, Asking For It
Presidential Accusations
Issues of power often arise, allowing the powerful to walk free. For example, President Trump has been accused of sexual assault countless times and still remains in the highest position of power in our country.
Hollywood Drama
After the sexual scandals faced by Harvey Weinstein in October of 2017, many other women came out in accusing other men in Hollywood and positions of power. of assault and rape As of February 2018, 71 more powerful men had been accused of sexual misconduct.
Culture in Greek Life
Rape culture is incredibly prevelent in greek life. A 2007 study shows that members of fraternities are three times as likely to commit rape as their other male peers on college campuses who are not involved in greek life .
nationwide, classroom teachers and school administrators could no longer ignore the topic. Although sexual assault is and has been a problem across the country, middle and high schools have historically not addressed the issue head-on. In addition, many states and school districts do not require any sex education, which can oftentimes include units on consent, safe sex, and related resources for support. As school boards or state government ban these educational units, it leaves students without the proper resources, support, or understanding of everything that is encompassed with sexual assault. Within the last year, schools and classroom teachers have been
able to dig deep into this issue, going beyond national headlines and discussing the historical inequalities, oppression, and gender norms that lead to specific predatory behavior. The classroom perception has shifted, from a once taboo issue to the center of many units, in English courses and beyond. As more and more research is published each year documenting the interpersonal violence against women and members of the LGBT+ community, it is imperative that teachers rely on research to bring in real data to their classrooms as these discussions emerge. While some students may be hesitant to participate in a conversation about
sexual assault for a variety of reasons, it is the teacher’s responsibility when appropriate to have these conversations rather than ignore them. Students who have been sexually assaulted personally or know someone close to them who has endured sexual assault may have trouble engaging in the discussion, feeling comfortable in a conversation of that nature, or even being in the classroom when the topic is brought up. Teachers should have expectations and supports in place to make sure their students feel safe and comfortable when discussing such a triggering topic.
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“If you think I’m going to apologize for being drugged and raped, you have another thing coming.” -E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear
In a perfect world... There would be no sexual assault. But until we can get to that point, there must be a way for sexual assault to be properly dealt with in life and literature for young adults. So many people of all different genders and sexualites have dealt with being assaulted. In a time characterized by female empowerment, rape culture, and sexual allegations in politics, hollywood and more, YA Literature must be able to tell these stories with power and grace. WHY DOES YA LIT AVOID RAPE “According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 44 percent of rape victims are under the age of eighteen. Twenty-nine percent of sexual assault and rape victims are between twelve and seventeen years old.” () If so many teenagers are facing the realities of sexual assault in their own worlds, why is it still uncommon for these same people to have access to novels that share in their experience? 1) Rape is a highly personal topic Perhaps people believe that rape is too
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emotionally destructive to be able to effectively discuss it in novels. However, discussion of rape from many perspectives benefit the discussion, an author does not have to write about rape from the perspective of the person that was raped. 2) Parents think it’s “too real” “We have had YA novels about teenagers dying of cancer (The Fault in Our Stars) and stories of kids being forced to kill each other for glory and entertainment (The Hunger Games), these are topics parents have no problems talking about with their children.” ( ) Yet, the act of sex is so taboo that parents don’t want their children reading about rape WHY SHOULDN’T IT BE AVOIDED 1) Rape is too prevalent to be ignored The majority of rape and sexual assault victims fall in the age range of young adult literature. A large social issue cannot simply be ignored by the literature that has the most room to talk about social issues! Students that have been assaulted themselves or have a friend that has been assaulted require literary guidance which YA authors can provide (See number 2)
2) Literature provides a safe space Authors of YA literature are the fortunate few who are both listened to and are listening. Novels that touch on experiences that young adults have gone through connect with readers and prove both that what they went through is not okay and how they can and should approach there lives after they’ve been so hurt. Teachers often avoid sexual assault, parents often proote rape culture in their discussions of sexual assult (parents warning their girls of the dangers of the world, yet not teaching boys to be respectful of women). YA authors can get down to the emotiona baseline of sexual assault that teens aren’t always given. Authors have thepower to answer questions both for themselves and for others. “I do that because these are the things I get angry about, these are the things I have questions about; it’s my way of processing what’s going on in the world around me.” says YA author Courtney Summers YA Lit both can and should cover rape and sexual assault, bringing to light the issues that youth in our society are already facing in their own lives.
YA Lit Suggested Reading
Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Asking for it
Swagger
E.K. Johnston
Louise O’Neil
Carl Deuker
“Exit, Pursued by a Bear” tells the story of a Canadian teenage cheerleading captain named Hermione Winters. At a cheer camp that she has been attending for years, Hermione is roofied at the annual party, raped, and left in the camp lake. When she returns home, she is greeted by parents who get her an amazing therapist, a best friend who is there for her no matter what, and a team that is willing to take part in the investigation and help their captain. Loosely based off Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” shows all the things that a community can do right after someone has been sexually assaulted.
“Asking for It” is a gripping example of unfortunately frequent situations of sexual assault involving teenagers and party/ hookup culture. Emma O’Donovan is a beautiful, but often shallow and selfish, teenager growing up in a quiet Irish town. She relishes being the center of every boy’s attention and believes that girls are too sensitive about the idea of rape. Everything changes meaning for her when she is brutally gang raped by the town’s star soccer players after blacking out one night. While at first she is reluctant to accuse them of rape, the trial commences and brings national attention to the case.
Carl Deuker’s “Swagger” tells the story of a Jonas Dolan, a star high-school basketball player who learns that his close friend and teammate, Levi, is being sexually abused by their charismatic head coach. Deuker offers first-person insight into the mind of an adolescent male dealing with the consequences of sexual assault; suspense is built throughout the story as Jonas’s future in basketball is in question as he navigates not only this difficult situation, but also the highs and lows of being a normal high-school student.
WHO TELLS YOUR STORY
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