Greater measures to eliminate sexual violence are most needed
As victims of sexual assault, survivors have an important choice to make: whether to report the crime or not. Should the victim choose to report the assault, the best chance at successful prosecution requires no cleansing, use the bathroom or change clothes. These steps are needed to complete a forensic exam, which collects DNA from the survivor and their assailant and ensures their health and safety.
Unfortunately, USC does not have the materials or staffing to perform these tests. For a victim to be medically examined, they have to go to a hospital or a rape treatment center. While the university does provide counseling, emergency contraception and STI testing, the sexual assault resource website points victims to the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center. The distance and inconvenience makes it more difficult for survivors to report the offense.
This is just one of many examples of how the university is not equipped to handle sexual violence. If anyone is in a position to make a difference in this field, it is the president and vice president.
One might argue that this issue has already been fought over enough; the federal investigations into USC’s handling of sexual assault last year led to productive new discussions regarding the issue, and many student organizations on campus including the Women’s Student Assembly and Men CARE do so much to educate USC students on how to handle sexual assault. This is a problem, however, that cannot be solved by only a few students groups. Rape culture is still prevalent at USC, and to deny that would be to deny the legitimacy of survivor’s stories. In order to squash this culture, we need to change the way sexual assault is viewed at the university, and only student leaders can accomplish that.
Too often, sexual assault education is an online module that students are required to click through before they come to orientation. The reality is that the problem is too complicated to be brushed off. Students need comprehensive programming, not a quick university PowerPoint.
A 2014 study by the Center for Disease Control states that “brief, one-session educational programs focused on increasing awareness or changing beliefs and attitudes … are not effective at changing behavior in the long-term.” According to the study, sexual assault education can only be successful if based on evidence of behavior changes and data, and that student sexual education programming must “include campus-wide policy, structural and social norms components.”
Columbia University announced just this week that all students must take a “sexual respect” course. Brandeis University is opening a rape crisis center that provides peer mentoring for survivors. Individual campuses have distinct cultures and needs. If USC wants to remain a top university, they must make changes to current programs.
Both USG presidential platforms have points on sexual assault. In a recent debate, presidential candidate Rini Sampath discussed ideas for social media campaigns and bystander intervention programming and presidential candidate Providence Ilisevich touched on developing ideas for the long term.
Because USC students are the only ones with firsthand insight on how rape culture infiltrates USC society, our student leaders must lead this charge. This election season, the focus should be on the safety and health of our Trojan family. Our university can no longer tolerate sexual violence; Trojans deserve better than that.
Claire Cahoon is a sophomore majoring in English. “Point/Counterpoint” runs Tuesdays.