No Means No
Content Warning: This article will be discussing sexual assault, particularly statistics and prevention. Please be mindful that it may be triggering for some people.
Every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted.
Just one person being assaulted is too many, but one every 68 seconds — that is heartbreaking. Sexual violence is any type of unwanted sexual contact. Although this is not an exhaustive list, sexual violence can range from rape, unwanted sexual contact, sexual exploitation and trafficking, nonconsensual image sharing, and sexual assault. Sexual assault, specifically, is any sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim.
Let’s Learn!
Sexual assault is a complex yet rampant issue around the world, not just in the United States. One aspect is consent, which must be freely given and fully informed. A person can change their mind at any time, and that change in consent must be respected. Sexual assault occurs when this consent is not respected by the perpetrator of the assault. Sexual violence and sexual assault are never the survivor’s fault but always the fault of the perpetrator. While most survivors of sexual assault are women, survivors can be of any age, race, gender, and level of ability.
Although most instances of sexual assault are not reported or convicted, it still affects survivors and the world around them. On a personal scale, sexual assault can impact survivors in every aspect of their life as well as the people surrounding a survivor. Most people have some tie to sexual violence, whether they know it or not. It also affects communities and society financially as well as on a fundamental level. When someone does experience sexual violence, the current lack of support, education, and available resources can further hurt survivors as they try to make sense of their experience. This is one reason why it is important to believe in and support survivors.
Preventing Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is a preventable yet complex issue. There is no perfect and immediate fix, but the problem of sexual assault can be resolved. It will take collaboration and commitment from every person and institution in society to ensure that no one is ever the victim of sexual assault or sexual violence again.
This begins with the upbringing of future generations and the education of all people. It is important to instill respect for others, yourself, and the bodily autonomy of yourself and others. All people should be comprehensively educated on safe and healthy sexuality including what consent is and the necessity of respecting it. We must promote a change in our culture that protects against sexual violence as well as a change that encourages the empowerment of others. It is important to create a safe environment that believes in survivors and applies policies to protect against sexual violence. More examples of strategies to prevent sexual violence can be found here.
Resources
Here are some resources for more information and support:
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network)
NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1 (800) 656–4673
With Medium estimating that it would take you 3 minutes to read this, almost 3 sexual assaults have taken place, statistically.
