Identifying sexual assualt

One in four women will be a victim – and it doesn’t always look the way you think it does

Molly Maddock • Entertainment Editor with anyone. Consent is one of the defining factors between an intimate act and rape.

He pinned me down, his hot breath on my face.

My heart beat out of my chest as I struggled to get out of his grasp. He grabbed the back of my neck, forcing my face closer to his. I reared my head back and smashed it into his, catching him by surprise just enough for me to wiggle away.

I was 14, and he was my friend of two years.

Sexual assault and harassment are something that surrounds people’s everyday lives whether it’s a catcall on the street or someone following them home, it’s best to stay alert.

There are many different levels of sexual assault and some people don’t even realize that what happened to them was wrong. One out of every four American women has been a victim of sexual assault or rape, and those are just the cases that have been reported. One in every ten men experiences sexual coercion or harassment.

Harassment and assault are very similar, but there is still a clear distinction between them. Sexual harassment is a vague term that can include many unwanted behaviors like sexual comments or unwelcome advances.

Catcalling is a big example of this. Catcalling is when someone makes a sexual comment or innuendo to someone passing by. Being whistled at from a car, comments on my body when I walk up the stairs, and sexual remarks when I pass by are all things that I, and many people experience every day.

Ninety-seven percent of women around the world have experienced sexual assault or harassment, and that’s just the reported cases.

Sexual assault can be defined as when someone intimately touches someone else without consent.

When I was in ninth grade I was pinned down in a secluded area by someone I thought I could trust.

He grabbed me by the back of the neck and tried to force me to kiss him. He ran his hands all over my body trying to convince me to let him.

My protests died in my throat. Of course, I wanted to say no, but I was terrified of what would happen if I did. This is what happens to a lot of sexual assault victims – they are too scared to say no, but the absence of a no doesn’t mean yes.

I was lucky, I was able to stop him before anything else happened, but not everyone can say that.

If I had let him continue, not only would he have been charged with sexual assault, it would’ve been classified as sexual coercion. Sexual coercion is a form of sexual assault that many people don’t even realize is sexual assault.

Sexual coercion is when someone is pressured or influenced to agree to sex. It doesn’t matter if the person eventually says yes, if you wear them down it’s not a true yes.

You don’t have to say yes to anything you aren’t comfortable with, and you can’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do.

You have to receive consent before doing anything

Not everyone will experience these awful things but it’s important that the ones who do know it’s not their fault. Rape is about power, not sex.

People try to excuse the assaulter by saying the victim was wearing provocative clothing, or they led their attacker on, or they were drunk and said yes, but none of those things excuse assault. It is never the victim’s fault.

Milestones for women...continued from page 12

we wanted to change that.”

The founders share some of where their help has come from and a word of advice for the young women reading.

“Don’t be scared to make a move and do what you truly want to do,” Kavula said. “The first step is always the scariest but the support is all around you if you want to find it.”

“Our target audience and other non-profit groups, such as the Formula Project, are very active and a great support network when we are searching for speaking opportunities,” Vanka said. “We build each other up, always.”

The transition from high school to life afterward is staggering, whether it be because plans changed or because you achieved your goals. Facing the world as an adult can be terrifying. Martin alumni still remember their experience, and some of them are willing to reflect on it.

Xander Belvin graduated in 2021, and according to his upperclassman self’s standards, he is doing better than expected.

“I wanted to be a lawyer when I was really young and a game designer in my freshman and sophomore years,” Belvin said. “After high school, I became a welder. I took welding with Mr. Kennedy in my junior year, and I got certified with Mr. Mendez in my senior year.”

Another Martin alumnus who took a completely different route is 2021 graduate Imogen Hofer. She chose to go to the University of Texas at Arlington to study history and social studies secondary education.

“I have done exactly what I planned and more,” Hofer said. “I am scheduled to graduate from my five year program in three years. I’ve known what I wanted to do since I was pretty little, so I mostly expected to be here. I really feel like I’ve come into my own and become a lot more confident and self assured. I worried about a lot of things, and I still do, but I think past me would have had a lot more fun if she had worried a little less about everyone else.”

The high school experience can help you to find different career paths, hobbies, or even allow you to find out what you don’t want in life.

Agriculture teacher Lizzy Howe discovered a love for poultry, and built a successful life around it. At 27 years old, she has made her way back to AISD and teaches Livestock Production and Horticulture at the CTC.

“My ag science classes in high school and my time in FFA started my passion for agriculture and the desire to educate others about the industry,” Howe said. “My ag teacher at Martin, Kristin Clark, made the biggest influence on my life and career. She helped my decision to pursue a degree in agriculture and then encouraged me to become an ag teacher after I left the poultry industry. I now get to work with her teaching the next generation of agriculturists.”

Even though they all ended up in their own place, the former students were impacted by their teachers.

“Mr. Kennedy taught me a skill I will use for the rest of my life, and Mr. Mendez at the CTC helped me to refine it,” Belvin said. “They changed my life more than they could ever know.”