While I respect Ms. Lincoln's point in her recent editorial about condom availability on campus, I think she has missed several important issues.
First, the article inaccurately confuses safer sex programs and rape prevention. The data is quite clear that, for preventing the spread of HIV and other STDs and in reducing unwanted pregnancy, condoms are very effective. To make them easily accessible, and to facilitate and destigmatize discussion of their use (that's where condom jewelry comes in), is part of a larger plan to educate the student body on safer sex practices. The ready availability of condoms and dental dams on campus eliminates the excuse that they are too expensive or hard to find to use.
Second, the article tends to blame victims and assigns to women full responsibility for reducing their risk of sexual assault. Yes, Women's Initiative or Public Safety could attempt to provide every woman on campus with an unlimited supply of date rape drug testers, but sexual assault will not end until people stop trying to incapacitate others in the first place. Furthermore, the most common date rape drug is not GHB or roofies; it is alcohol itself.
Campus offices focus too heavily on warning women to travel in groups at night and to cover their drinks at parties, which put the onus of ending rape on the victims. We must remember that the only person who can truly prevent rape is a person who chooses not to rape; a potential victim can only engage in risk reduction.
Finally, this article, as with many of the sexual assault awareness materials found on campus, primarily addresses stranger rape and drug-facilitated rape. That is understandable, as the incidents Public Safety reports are generally high-profile offenses committed by strangers. In reality, the vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone the survivor knows and cares for. It is extremely unlikely a potential victim will be suspicious of drinks offered by classmates nor will she use the skills learned in a self-defense class against close friends or a long-term partner. Consequently, the vast majority of sex offenses go unreported.
Hopefully, Ms. Lincoln's well-meaning but somewhat misguided article will facilitate a larger, campus-wide discussion of sexual assault prevention programming among students of all genders and orientations. Women's Initiative wants to see anonymous reporting opportunities and more substantive educational programming in the dorms and at freshmen orientations. I hope the AU administration will demonstrate a stronger commitment to providing multifaceted solutions for these complex issues. WI and the rest of the Student Government look forward to working with them to implement those solutions.
I agree with Ms. Lincoln that AU must provide better resources for the student body. One of the best ways to do so is through the establishment of a professionally staffed Women's Resource Center, and through university-sponsored programs, similar to those conducted by Men Can Stop Rape and other organizations. These programs address and prevent the causes of violence against women, rather than requiring women to fend for themselves.
Ashley V. Evans Director, Women's Initiative
