By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer
I opened up my curtains the other night and saw the top of Pat Neff glowing teal in the distance. It reminded me of all the ways our community actively cares when it comes to the issue of sexual assault. It’s a heavy subject, so seeing awareness is very comforting.
As someone who has been through it, I really appreciate the efforts in spreading awareness, promoting prevention and supporting survivors. As I have grown up, I have become less afraid and more compassionate. Just knowing there are so many others who have been through it and faced the same struggles I did has made me feel less alone and ashamed over the years.
I know it’s not easy for anyone to talk about, even for those who haven’t been through it. There are a lot of misunderstandings about what it is and is not, how it affects victims in the long run, why it can be so hard to come forward and what can be done to prevent it. I am personally so glad Baylor’s Equity, Civil Rights & Title IX Office and other organizations are raising attention to address these things.
I think a lot of people avoid discussion of sexual assault because they are worried they might say the wrong thing or “trigger” somebody. That makes total sense. But it shouldn’t be that way. Imagine how much more good could be done if people were less afraid to speak up and stand out.
There’s never anything wrong with trying to be a part of something good. It doesn’t require a specific set of knowledge or experience, only a good heart. That’s why things like Sexual Assault Awareness Month exist — to educate everyone, young and old, on the realities of sexual violence.
I understand, of course, many people who pour into SAAM-related events and help out awareness campaigns probably have not experienced sexual assault themselves or are close with someone who has. So, seeing how much they dedicate to the matter makes me so happy. It demonstrates that empathy and compassion are not contingent on one’s experiences. The more people willing to make a difference, the better.
There are many reasons why these kinds of campaigns exist, and one of those is that sexual assault is astonishingly prevalent — at least more so than most people know it to be.
According to RAINN, there is an average of 463,634 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States, and about every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted.
In 2024, the Dordulian Law Group said 81% of women and 43% of men in the United States report experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.
As for young adults, particularly college students living on a campus, the numbers reported by RAINN show sexual assault is even more common. Male college students (ages 18-24) are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault, and female college students (ages 18-24) are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence.
They also report that females between the ages of 16 and 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault.
A research article published by the National Library of Medicine in February 2021 outlined the far-reaching long-term consequences caused by sexual violence.
It explained the stress resulting from this kind of experience can have drastic long-term consequences on overall health because of how interconnected the body and mind are, as emotional stress triggers the body’s physical immune response.
“Those who have such experiences are at a greater risk of developing serious diseases than those who have not had to endure such trauma. They are more likely to have medically unexplained physical symptoms and have a greater need for healthcare than those without such experiences.”
The authors of the article expressed a hope that their findings may help provide better, more effective healthcare for survivors of sexual violence.
I honestly wasn’t surprised when reading about these long-term effects. It’s much more understandable when you’ve experienced it, to any extent.
I’ve noticed most people tend to only associate negative effects that pertain to mental health, such as short-term PTSD or attachment issues. So, it’s encouraging to see that information is communicated about how dynamic and complex the long-term effects are.
The NLM research found that women who came forward about their experiences felt immeasurable relief and better emotional well-being after opening up.
The #MeToo movement, which emerged in 2017, brought great attention to the issue of sexual violence in the workplace, particularly in the film industry. As it took off, many people all over the world were encouraged to share their stories, prompting greater attention to the issue and what changes needed to be made. The slogan for the movement was “you are not alone.”
Although we’ve come a long way, some people still believe in common misconceptions such as: It doesn’t happen to men, coercion is consent, it only includes rape, it always involves physical force and all offenders are purely bad people.
There are also a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to defining the differences between sexual assault, harassment or abuse. From what I understand, sexual harassment pertains to non-physical gestures, and sexual abuse refers to the presence of a significant power imbalance (such as the assault of a minor by an authority figure) and sexual violence is a broader term.
As part of awareness events, it would be extremely beneficial to highlight the differences between these different terminologies, just so we are using them in the right contexts.
I would also like to emphasize how crucial it is for survivors to have a good, supportive community to lean on, confidential access to mental health resources and — best of all in my opinion — opportunities to lean into their faith and spiritual life.
Luckily, Baylor has all of these things. But for me, even before coming here this year, turning to God during the hardest of my struggles helped me immeasurably, and I would never hesitate to encourage a fellow survivor to do the same, no matter where you are and what happened to you.
You are never defined by your past.
This subject has generally been very stigmatized. I don’t think that’s necessarily anyone’s fault in particular, but not being aware of its realities can definitely have negative effects on someone later in their lifetime. I know these stereotypes affected me — it took me a few years before I realized what really happened and why the effects were so unexplainably drastic in the long run.
I would never expect everyone to fully know and understand what it’s like to experience and recover from sexual violence. I don’t blame anyone for not knowing what does and does not constitute as sexual assault, especially since that can be a very complicated distinction. And I certainly get how terrifying it can be to speak up and ask for help on behalf of someone else or yourself.
I don’t find SAAM “triggering” at all. It warms my heart and inspires me to do things like what I’m doing right now — going beyond my comfort zone to bring light to an issue that affects our Baylor community and beyond. I hope to help others who have experienced it to understand it better and feel less alone.
This month, The Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office at Baylor has hosted awareness events and will continue to do so throughout the rest of April. That teal glow I saw illuminating Pat Neff doesn’t have to be a one-time thing.
