Sexual Violence at Penn State
Read the full Fall 2024 SCDS Dis-Orientation Guide here.
The disturbing truth about sexual violence at Penn State is that it is extremely common. What is even more disturbing is that the University Administration’s efforts to combat sexual violence have remained insufficient and the Administration has continued to put their most marginalized students at risk.
It is understandable that students who are frustrated with the University’s lack of a response to sexual violence on their campuses want the University Administration to reform to better keep us safe. Students have been trying for years to push for policy change at Penn State to make campuses safer for students. While these efforts by students are laudable and have resulted in some changes being made at a policy level, the overall number of sexual assaults on campus have not decreased and have actually increased between the times the University conducted surveys in 2018 (1) and 2022. (2)
These numbers require us to ask questions about how effective reforms are in ending sexual violence. I do not mean to imply that these reforms are causing a higher rate of sexual violence; what I am saying is that these reforms are not ending or even significantly reducing sexual violence. This indicates that something more than reforms needs to be done to end sexual violence. In order to end sexual violence, we need to strike at the root of the patriarchal, imperialist society that is producing sexual violence in the first place. We cannot focus on reforming the symptoms and excesses of imperialism, which is the highest stage of capitalism, but we must fight to destroy imperialism if we ever want to stop sexual violence.
Who is Experiencing Sexual Violence?
Sexual violence is quite prevalent on our campus and downtown. The following statistics are from the Penn State Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey in 2022, the results of which Penn State went to great lengths to avoid releasing to the public in order to hide how ineffective and insufficient their methods of handling sexual violence are. (3)
At the Penn State University Park campus, about…
- 27.3% of undergraduate students will be sexually violated.
- 10.4% of graduate/professional students will be sexually violated.
- 19.1% of undergraduate students will face a form of intimate partner violence.
- 12.1% of graduate/professional students will face a form of intimate partner violence.
The survey results reveal that, at Penn State…
- Women and gender diverse folks have a much higher risk of sexual violence than men.
- Sexually diverse students are more likely than straight students to experience sexual violence.
- BIPOC folks are far overrepresented in the results of the study than people of other races and ethnicities.
- Men are much more likely than people of other genders to commit sexual violence.
- Queer students are much more likely to experience force and coercive violence when being sexually violated.
- Undergraduate students overall have a much higher risk of experiencing sexual violence than graduate and professional students.
Private Property, Patriarchy, and Imperialism
Understandably, many people believe that sexual violence is rooted in culture or a lack of awareness on the part of the offender. However, coming into Penn State we’re all taught about FRIES, consent, and the tools the Penn State uses to “deter” sexual violence. (4, 5) The Gender Equity Center has a table at all New Student Orientation fairs. There are posters all over campus explaining consent. Frequent Timely Warnings are sent out to students, faculty, and staff.
People are aware of the problem and know how to not commit sexual violence, but the problem of sexual violence still persists. Therefore, we need to reexamine our approach and try to better understand the root cause of sexual violence; it is a symptom of a much larger problem.
Sexual violence is fundamentally rooted in class society, which did not always exist and can be destroyed through revolution. Imperialism, which is essentially monopoly capitalism, is the form of class society we exist in today, where the main two classes are the imperialist class and the international working class. The capitalist, imperialist class is able to hold power by oppressing people — by creating divisions in the working class and subjugating people through those divisions. These divisions are observed in racism, homophobia, and misogyny towards other working class people. Patriarchy is one of those expressions and is a feature of imperialist society. Patriarchy necessitates oppressive violence against women, queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming folks — especially sexual violence. Sexual violence can then be seen as a tool of oppression rather than a random action committed by one person against another person. This is even more apparent in colonies like in Palestine where women are raped to prevent them from engaging in anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggle (6) and in the US where sexual violence was used against enslaved women who were fighting for their own liberation. (7)
If it is true that sexual violence is a tool of oppression, reforms cannot end sexual violence. Reforms cannot end patriarchal oppression or imperialism, so reforms can never end sexual violence on their own. What can end sexual violence, patriarchal oppression, and imperialism is revolution. Radical approaches to dealing with sexual violence understand the root of sexual violence is fundamentally in the structure of our society and advocate for changing that structure in order to end sexual violence. This means abolishing private property and classes through revolutionary struggle. Sexual violence will only end when we eliminate classes and attain communism.
What Can We Do?
The most important thing to know as a first-year student is that you don’t have to accept the high rates of sexual violence on and off campus. You don’t have to listen to Penn State Administrators who tell us that sexual violence will always exist. You don’t have to be complicit in the violent patriarchal oppression that is acted out every day at Penn State through sexual violence.
Regardless of your gender, you can join the fight to change our campus and destroy the wretched imperialist system; there is a role for everyone in this struggle. Solidarity between working people of all genders in the struggle against patriarchy and sexual violence is key to the success of the revolutionary movement. Join an organization fighting for revolutionary change to contribute to the struggle to put an end to sexual violence, patriarchy, and imperialism once and for all.
Note:
Here are things to keep in mind if you or someone you know experiences sexual violence over the next few years at Penn State and beyond.
If you face sexual violence, know that you are not alone. You are stronger than you think, and you will make it through this. It was not your fault. Take care of yourself. Seek support in your community and local organizations.
If someone you know tells you they have faced or are facing sexual violence, believe them; it’s extremely rare for anyone to lie about experiencing sexual violence. Reassure them that it was not their fault. Do not ask why they made certain decisions or imply that it was their fault; they already probably feel like it was. What they need is for someone to tell them that it was not their fault. Listen to them and follow their lead. Don’t push them to report if they don’t want to — they already had their agency taken away during the event of sexual violence and it’s important that they are in the lead of their own recovery process. They know what is best for them and they can make their own decisions. Show them support and offer to help get them food and water. Ask them what they need and be there for them however they ask you to show up.
Read the full Fall 2024 SCDS Dis-Orientation Guide here.
Sources
- 2018 Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey, Summary Report: University Park:
https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/sites/default/files/University_Park_SMCS_2018_Summary_Report_Final.pdf - 2022 Penn State Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey, Summary Report: University Park:
https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/sites/default/files/SMCS_UP_2022.pdf - Gender Equity Coalition Collaborates To Fight Sexual Violence On Campus (Oct. 19, 2021):
https://onwardstate.com/2021/10/19/gender-equity-coalition-collaborates-to-fight-sexual-violence-on-campus/ - RESULTS WILL VARY*:
https://orientation.psu.edu/up/resultswillvary - Problems, solutions & the future: Why Penn State students are rising up against sexual violence (October 11, 2021):
https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/penn-state/article254804032.html - UN report says Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities since Oct. 7 faced torture, mistreatment (July 31, 2024):
https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-palestinians-detainees-torture-mistreatment-icc-db4555b8ba44e23d445550b10f4c35ff - Rape as a Badge of Slavery: The Legal History of, and Remedies for, Prosecutorial Race-of-Victim Charging Disparities (Fall 2006):
https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1418&context=nlj
