Rieken 1

Sierra Rieken

English 125

Mr. Brookshire

14 May 2020

Assault on Society

The #MeToo Glossary defines sexual assault as, “Any type of sexual activity or contact

that you do not consent to. Sexual assault can happen through physical force or threats of force

or if the attacker gave the victim drugs or alcohol as part of the assault. Sexual assault includes

rape and sexual coercion.” (Glossary.) By clearly defining sexual assault, the MeToo movement

is putting a spotlight on predators who unfairly use their power to sexually force themselves on

another. As a result, society is realizing how widespread sexual assault is and less likely to

blame the victim, encouraging them to come forward. Some worry #MeToo will bring about

false accusations and discrimination. Overall, this definition is changing society’s norms,

challenging the status quo, and helping victims of sexual assault understand what happened to

them is a crime and they can come forward without fearing blame.

Society likes to view sexual assault and gender oppression as something of the past; sadly

that is not the case. There have certainly been strides to right these wrongs, however, as a young

female growing up, in an age of innovation and diversity, the fear of being sexually assaulted is

still prominent in my everyday life. I am keenly aware of the “risks” of dressing up and walking

to my car alone. Every day I get up for college classes, make myself presentable, and head to

school. Once I arrive, I often question my decisions. Are my outfit, hair, and make-up too

provocative? Will someone take it as an invitation? Am I sending the wrong message? Last
 Rieken 2

semester after my night class would be dismissed, I would walk through the dark parking lot,

alone. In the back of my mind, I worried if someone would assault me on the way to the car. I

purchased a taser but wonder how much help it would be if someone attacked from behind.

“Among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual

assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.” (Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics

) Statics like these are posted all over the campus and the bathrooms, to bring awareness.

however, it usually just provokes discomfort. “Only 20% of female student victims, age 18-24,

report to law enforcement. (Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics) The reason often involves

self-doubt and the fear that somehow it's our fault: I dressed up too much, I shouldn’t have

smiled at him, why did I walk to the car alone? Feelings of shame and guilt cause many to not

report sexual assault.

According to Claire Kaplan, UVA Sexual Assault Educator, “Until recent years, rape and

other forms of sexual assault were defined as harm to the male who had an association with the

female victim. So rape of a married woman was a crime against her husband, of an unmarried

woman, against her father, etc. Women, viewed as property of a man, had no say in the legal or

social definitions of rape until the second.” (Kaplan ) In those situations, many of those women

were silenced due to the shame it would bring their family. However, in recent years, the actual

victim is the person who has been wronged. By defining sexual assault, society more clearly

categorizes behaviors and actions, who has been victimized, and who is t fault. This allows

people who have been assaulted to claim what they experienced as an assault. This clarification

makes it easier to seek help, get justice, and begin to heal.

“Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States have been raped at some time

in their lives, including completed forced penetration, attempted forced penetration or

alcohol/drug-facilitated completed penetration.” (Statistics) These numbers are too high and the
 Rieken 3

amount of recovery needed is unfathomable. Defining sexual assault will make people think

before they yield their sexual power and if they do, it will embolden victims to come forward.

“For instance, 74% of women said they thought they would be more willing now to speak out

against harassment, and 77% of men anticipated being more careful about potentially

inappropriate behavior”, after becoming aware of #MeToo movement. (The #MeToo Backlash)

#MeToo lessens the likelihood of victims feeling isolated, allows them to report their attackers,

and believe their accusations will be taken seriously.

With this definition, there are also new concerns that arise including the fear of false

allegations, discrimination while hiring, and overall prejudice against attractive, sexy, and

vulnerable persons. According to the Harvard Business review, both men and women are less

likely to hire an attractive female. In the workplace, there’s a concern there will be less

mixed-gender activities for fear of accusations that someone has crossed the line. Almost 60%

were worried harassment would continue and attackers would get more creative to avoid getting

caught. This was on top of the fear of a larger amount of false accusations against innocent

people. (The #MeToo Backlash) These may be valid concerns, however, these assumptions are

far outweighed by the search for safety and justice. It is already hard to get a job as a female in

male-dominated industries. The point should not be to keep attractive women away from men.

The point is that men understand their boundaries and control their behavior. The “27.2% of

women and 11.7% of men[who] have experienced unwanted sexual contact” deserve security.

(Statistics) The power of a simple definition is to allow those who were wronged a starting point

for healing and closure.

Sexual Assault comes in many forms, through the internet stalking, physical force, or

threatening words. We as a society need to make sure people feel safe from sexual predators. It

should not be on the would-be victim to alter looks or behavior to escape attention and unwanted
 Rieken 4

advances. The simple fact is that sexual assault is more common then it should be. By defining

these heinous acts, victims get to understand what was done to them was wrong and they are not

to blame. By claiming their story, many will come forward with less stigma or guilt. This

definition is leading society to a place where sexual assault victims can clearly declare the

wrongdoing and come forward to seek justice.

 Rieken 5

Works Cited

“Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics.” ​RAINN​, 2020,

www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence​.

“Glossary.” ​Me Too Movement,​ 2018, ​metoomvmt.org/glossary/​.

Kaplan , Claire. “The Political/Social Context of Sexual Assault.” ​George Mason,​

www.gmu.edu/resources/facstaff/facultyfacts/2-1/politicl.html​.

“Statistics.” ​National Sexual Violence Resource Center,​ 2018, ​www.nsvrc.org/statistics​.

“The #MeToo Backlash.” ​Harvard Business Review​, 27 Aug. 2019,

hbr.org/2019/09/the-metoo-backlash.