Throughout this past week, the mainstream media has published countless stories surrounding sexual misconduct including the extremely short sentencing of Bill Cosby and the anticipated testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser. Even within Geneseo, the allegations against business administration major junior Nicholas French and accounting major junior Mitchell Virkler have raised concerns.
Unfortunately, sexual assault is a common occurrence, and yet, victims are still reluctant to come forward for a multitude of reasons. The largest of these obstacles is the manner in which it is publicly addressed.
Sexual assault in schools, Hollywood and the United States in general is handled poorly and reform should be nonnegotiable.
“Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted,” according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network . “Meanwhile, only six out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison.”
Considering these statistics, many victims of sexual assault do not come forward due to fear, which will not create any forward progress. When many perpetrators who deserve punishment for their actions escape and when it can be costly for many victims to speak, reporting misconduct may not seem worth the risk.
In addition, many victims fear they will not be believed. As with Cosby’s case, the claims only earned merit once more women came forward.
This “strength in numbers” concept is valuable in that it helps victims feel valid and less alone, but it shouldn’t be necessary. Every allegation of sexual assault should be taken seriously and handled with care.
With sexual assault happening so frequently, it is critical that the U.S. rethinks the way it addresses accusations and treats victims with the respect they deserve.
Even in Geneseo, there are more steps the college could take to affirm victims of sexual assualt and prevent future misconduct.
While Virkler and French’s alleged assaults have been on the minds of many students, the administration has done little to communicate with students about it. Of course, Virkler and French have not yet been formally found guilty, but radio silence from the college does not help students or victims of sexual assault understand what is happening.