In the fall of 1990, an opinion piece about graffiti on the stall walls of a central campus bathroom naming alleged rapists ran in the Brown Daily Herald. The "underground list" became the center of controversy with claims of unfair accusations and libel.
"It began with a single sentence inscribed inside a stall," Jesselyn Alicia Brown writes in "Just Sex.""There, in a forum that guaranteed a female-only audience and anonymity, a woman had written, '____________ is a rapist.'"
Over time, the list grew as women added additional names along with complaints about Brown University's failure to adequately discipline Brown men who had sexually assaulted female students.
Imagine the names of rapists written on the stall walls of University bathrooms here. No, I do not support this type of behavior. But with the confidentiality rules of the Sexual Assault Board, it may be the only outlet for sexual assault victims to express themselves.
Sadly, the administration is not actively addressing the problem effectively. The SAB addresses it with the most inept policies, which prevent victims from speaking about an assault after proceedings finish.
A disturbing article in The Hook, titled "How UVA Turns Its Back on Rape," illustrates why universities should not be in the business of punishing these cowardly perpetrators, namely because they are not aggressive enough.
University President John T. Casteen, III said in an e-mail to Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist Elliot Haspel ("Confronting Sexual Assault," Nov. 17, 2004) that the administration was looking at several options for addressing sexual assault, but "it is too soon for anyone to say just how we will proceed on this issue."
Suggestion: Leave it to the University and Charlottesville police departments and the court system. If the student is found guilty in court, he should be permenantly expelled. Rape is a highly serious violation that destroys the fabric of trust that connects us as students. The violator has no right to be here.
Now, I can hear everyone preaching the community of trust and honor. I can hear students lecturing about the importance of "keeping matters in house." But if you missed the news flash, the almighty honor code is not addressing the problem of sexual assault.
I know you saw the Protest (capitalized because it's a proper noun in my dictionary) on Nov. 17 at the Amphitheater, or at least heard about it. I assume the students standing with bandannas across their mouths do not believe the honor code or any other University policy sufficiently and properly addresses the problem of sexual assault.
Disturbing as it may seem, the approximate 300 to 400 students standing silent may have a better understanding of the sexual assault epidemic than the administration. It is true: statistically, one in four college women will be subjected to attempted or actual rape.
I sat in class last week and overheard a female student recall how she had seen a man in the bushes a few times last week. She called the police, and when they arrived, the man began to run, only to be caught and later identified as a convicted sex offender. When two female students later joined the conversation, I told myself that one of these women will be raped according to statistics.
I did not need that image to make me realize the situation. I have befriended many women who were sexually assaulted. Unfortunately, some students and administrative officials have not or do not know they have befriended a previously raped woman. (It hurts when you are scared to speak out. It's even more terrifying when you are threatened for speaking out).
The rapist alone silences many sexual assault victims. Surely the victim does not need another person working to silence the truth.
Being the group in power, some males may find it hard to recognize the violation. Being raised in a blame-the-victim society, some women may think the problem does not exist. I can only recommend you educate yourself about the growing problem. The worst way to learn about the epidemic is to have it happen to you or someone you know.
Kurt Davis is a Health and Sexuality columnist. He can be reached at kurt@cavalierdaily.com
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