Opinion: Guest column

Assault dialogue should continue

Following up on recent Herald coverage and a campus forum held on March 10, we write today in the hopes of furthering campus dialogue on the subject of sexual assault.

To truly address this problem, the campus will need ongoing dialogues, support of prevention efforts, compassionate response to victims and holding perpetrators accountable. This vision requires us all to endeavor in activities that promote respect, consent, healthy sexual attitudes and excellence.

While those present at the forum provided great insight into this issue, we encourage discussion to continue by all members of the campus community. We hope the entire campus will continue to engage with us and each other to make progress in reducing violence on our campus.

For those who were unable to attend the forum, here is a recap of some of the suggestions students gave.

Enhance First-Year Education Efforts: Given that most sexual assaults occur during the freshman year, students asked for greater efforts at SOAR and in University Housing to increase awareness and promote safe decision-making. Further, forum participants encouraged greater implementation of mandatory education about sexual assault, dating violence and stalking for first-year students.

Focus on Gender and Masculinity: Since on college campuses data indicates that men perpetrate a vast majority (90 to 95 percent) of sexual assaults and women make up the vast majority of victims, there must be an increased effort to recognize these crimes as serious campus problems rather than “women’s issues.” In particular, men should have the opportunity to engage in conversations with women and other men about masculinity, power, consent and entitlement as potential role models rather than as potential perpetrators.

Believe and Support Survivors: Many present asked for additional options for survivors to tell their stories and be supported without facing the scrutiny and ridicule of their peers exhibited in the anonymous comment pages of the campus papers.

Improve Safety Services: Students asked for reforms to current safety efforts such as SAFEwalk and SAFEcab.

Increase Knowledge about Campus Resources: Lastly, participants expressed the need for participating in community dialogue, creating allies and disseminating information about resources for survivors and their friends.

Many of these suggestions call for enhancing current efforts, while others will mean developing new initiatives. Recently, the UW-Madison was one of seven campuses nationally awarded a three-year, $300,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. This grant is specifically granted to address sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.

That said, sexual assault cannot be solved solely with administrative solutions. We must find campus solutions to this campus problem and encourage you to do participate in one of the following ways:

Talk to each other. Listen to each other. Learn from each other. Start a dialogue in your residence halls and apartments, student organizations, classes, places of worship and sport teams.

Speak up. You may never see a rape in progress, but you will see and hear attitudes and behaviors that are harmful.

Attend one of the many upcoming campus events during April, which is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month: http://uwpave.rso.wisc.edu/Pave_web/website/pages/saamcalendar.html.

Get involved with the University Subcommittee on Sexual Assault and Dating Violence. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TITU.

Contact us with your ideas about how we can fill current gaps in our efforts to create a safe and respectful campus community free from sexual and dating violence

We sincerely hope you make the conscious decision to be part of the effort to end sexual assault on our campus. By allowing these heinous acts to occur, we damage the bond that holds us together as a community.

Lori Berquam, Dean of Students, dean@odos.wisc.edu.

Carmen Hotvedt, Violence Prevention Specialist, chotvedt@uhs.wisc.edu