By ASHLEY SWEET
Advertising Manager
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October. The heart of fall and it’s magnificent colors. The beginning of pumpkin spice everything, of scarves and pea coats, of boots and an assortment of hats.
October is also Domestic Violence Awareness month. This is unfortunate because October is also the home of Halloween; a night where we don’t always remember our safety procedures and buddy systems as we get caught up in all of the festivities.
However, I would like to bring to light that we all have a responsibility to stay safe and act responsibly, no matter how deserving we are of a Halloween party toward the end of the semester. I think this campus lacks awareness about the ricks you take when you’re out of the house, late at night. I think this campus lacks a source of information on the numbers associated with assault.
You should always walk with others. Have a buddy system. Don’t text while you walk, always be aware. Don’t accept drinks from strangers, protect your drink, if you leave you drink unattended then find a new one. Tell more than one friend you schedule for the night. Trust your instincts. If there is a situation that gets out of hand, yell “fire” to get other’s attention.
You might have glazed over during that paragraph. We have all heard those safety tips and words of advice. Saint Rose security encourages thema s they should.
Now, let me grab your attention with why those safety measures truly matter. Why those safety measures should be the most important pieces of information you have ever been given.
Every two minutes a person in the United States is sexually assaulted.
Count to 120. Do it again. This statistic does not discriminate against gender. Count to 120 again.
The United States Department of Justice estimated that approximately 300, 000 women are raped every year. Approximately 32, 000 will become pregnant from that rape.
It is also estimated that for every 1,000 women who are raped, 35 of those rapes will be against women in college. One in four college women will be raped at one point in four years, during the academic year. Most likely by someone they knew. Nine in ten know their offender, to be exact. 12 percent of completed rapes happened during a date. However, this number is a rough estimate as less than five percent of college rapes are actually reported.
50 percent of rape cases in college are deemed false.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, so there are many campaigns and advertisements that go on about it. That is excellent and I believe we should all get behind those. But, did you know that the United States ranks 13th in the world for the most rape cases annually?
Count to 120.
The chances of a woman being raped, versus getting cancer is 2 to 1 in the United States. You are twice as likely to be raped.
In 2012 alone there were more than 70 women reportedly raped in Central Park, New York City. It was also estimated that approximately 16,500 women in the U.S. Military were raped by people they knew.
Count to 120.
The U.S. does have a justice system though. Every school has a security system. However, 97 percent of rapists will never be incarcerated. Even though a woman is two times more likely to be raped than to consent to sex, the rapist is five times more likely to walk free than serve time.
If those scare you, you are normal. If those scare you, you should go read my earlier paragraph over again. Those safety tips are not just thrown around in hopes of someone listening. They are stated and repeated because there is a danger that faces each and every one of us in our societies.
While some of you have already looked away because who needs this kind of gloomy topic so close to the let-loose holiday of the year, right? And no, this isn’t happy. And yes, it’s all true and yes it’s possible. One in five women in the U.S. experience rape. If it is not you, then count the five women closest to you. Let’s not let it be any of them either.
I just couldn’t let Halloween, or another two minutes, pass without passing along this information.
So, during this month of Domestic Violence Awareness and ongoing times of risk: please let others know where you’re going. Please guard your drink and your friends. Please be aware of your situation and trust your instincts. Please be the alarmist to save someone, to save yourself. Please know that this is a real possibility, unfortunate and sad, but all too real. So take the advice, follow the safety measures.
Need motivation? Count to 120 again.
