Rape culture: an issue on campus

    “Wow, that test raped me.”

    Every so often, a particularly difficult exam will leave students frustrated and upset enough to use this phrase or post it carelessly on Facebook.

    “It’s like when people say ‘retarded,’” junior Jennie Werner said. “They don’t necessarily mean it in a harsh way, but they don’t realize how it could impact people around them.”

    “Rape” is undoubtedly a buzz word, and it’s one that has lately become much more prevalent. Although it rarely surfaces in conversations on campus, the issue has gripped the country in recent years, from indignation sparked by the phrase “legitimate rape” to the new Violence Against Women Act.

    The media have played an important role in renewing awareness about the struggles that rape victims endure.

    Last October, former Amherst College student Angie Epifano decided to share her story about suffering a sexual assault on campus.

In the aftermath of the assault, the Amherst administration was less than helpful (Epifano was unable to change dorms or press charges) and advised her to “forgive and forget.” Epifano entered a psychiatric ward a year after the incident after suffering with depression. When Epifano learned that Amherst would not let her study abroad, she withdrew from the school. In the meantime, her rapist graduated with honors.

    Epifano’s story caused a whirlwind of controversy and laid bare a number of issues rape victims deal with. Not only do people tend to overlook the crime, many actually point fingers at the victim.

    Senior Maggy Liu believes Amherst responded dismissively in order to preserve its image of a supposedly safe, enlightened environment.

    “There are so many stories of women who were shamed into keeping silent about being raped, and it seems almost acceptable to mainstream society for this practice to continue,” Liu said. “There’s an inherent contradiction in how American society approaches rape, which is why it’s so important to talk about rape culture.”

    More recently, in December, several men raped a young woman on a bus in New Delhi; the victim succumbed to organ failure after sustaining serious internal  injuries. Protests across India over the gang rape soon turned violent.

    Junior Priyanka Krishnamurthi saw hope in the solidarity expressed by protesters.

“The gang rape united many people across India, mostly women but also many men as well, in a fight for the rights and safety of women. It shed international light on the issue,” Krishnamurthi said. “Now we can only hope that India takes actions to prevent such events from occurring in the future.”

In the U.S., Liu said women still face formidable obstacles when it comes to sexual assault. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 30 people are sexually assaulted every hour in this country; furthermore, 97 percent of rapists do not spend a single day in prison.

    “On one hand, we condemn the tragedies in India, how the now-famous rape victims are treated, the pervasive misogyny that allowed for the crime to happen in the first place,” Liu said. “But we ignore the rape that happens here in our own country or even mock victims.”

    Many Americans view India as “backwards” and “sexist,” but in some ways the rape culture here is even more dangerous.

    “It’s a pervasive perspective that disguises itself as normal and acceptable, making it so much harder to point out, and so much harder to fight,” Liu added.

    While this school offers a safer environment than either Amherst or New Delhi, English teacher Natasha Ritchie believes negative attitudes toward girls on campus do exist.

“While our students are more reserved with their dress than other schools I have seen, I am still often surprised by certain female clothing trends that seem more about impressing others and fulfilling stereotypes than practicality and individualism,” Ritchie said. “I don't see male students manifesting the same pressures.”

“Slut-shaming,” which targets girls who wear revealing clothing, stereotypes them as less intelligent and portrays sexuality as something girls should hide. However, Ritchie believes that a girl’s choice of attire bears little connection with the crime of rape.

“Rape is violence and control and usually has little to do with sexuality or intimacy,” Ritchie said.

Everyone acknowledges that rape is bad. Nonetheless, many students continue to describe receiving a poor grade by claiming, “I got raped!”
    “Exaggeration is funny, but do people really need to rely on shock value to get a laugh?” Liu said.