When we think about or talk about college campuses, we use expressions like “bubble” or “ivory tower” – which is especially true for my alma mater because we have an ivory-colored tower at the center of the campus. These phrases suggest safe, secluded spaces where young people engage with intellectual ideas and with experts in their respective fields. What we do not always remember is the student-life component: the time spent and relationships fostered outside of the classroom that have an equally important impact on growth and experiences in college.
It is not assumed that universities are responsible for teaching young adults about healthy relationships, and creating safe spaces for them to ask questions and get help. We do not think about these statistics: women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence. Approximately 1 in 4 women experience sexual assault over their time in college (Break the Cycle).
Over my sophomore year, there were many incidences of forcible touching and gender-based violence in the campus community. One night, a friend and I were walking home, down a street we would often walk together on the way back to our dorms. As we walked toward a parked campus police van, we were stopped. The officers asked for our student identification cards, and asked us where we were going, if we were often on this part of campus, and if we had seen anyone who fit the description of a suspect. It was the first time the emails I had been getting about these incidences felt real to me, that my campus was a place where women were not completely safe.
Campus safety is a crucial part of this question, and universities work hard to ensure their students are safe and feel safe. The Blue Light Emergency Phone System, a phone system for campuses, is a physical assurance that help is nearby when anyone feels unsafe. Even though there are many, many blue lights dotting the slopes, gorges, and quad of my campus, forcible touching, sexual harassment and rape were prominent concerns for the community during my time in college.
You can offer excuses for why such behavior permeated my particular campus: isolated rural location, buildings sprawled across large stretches, student habits of late nights holed up in libraries and labs. Those explanations for the many acts of sexual harassment and violence that occurred during my time in college are feeble at best, and insulting to say the least.
Location and environment are simply unacceptable (and too-frequently used) explanations for why college-age women face the threat of abuse and sexual violence. It is never the fault of the victim. It does not matter what she is wearing, how much she had to drink, or who her friends are. A woman is never “asking for it,” and should not be afraid to dress as she likes or to walk alone at night because someone might attack her. Certainly, responsible drinking habits are important to learn for other health and safety concerns, but they are unrelated to suggestions that women should not drink because they would be at risk for sexual violence. To truly put an end to domestic violence, we need to shift the conversation to creating a safe environment where any kind of abuse is prohibited.
College is a time of self-discovery and intellectual growth. Campuses foster environments where students can explore interests, probe new areas of research, and learn more about themselves and their peers. A physically, emotionally, and mentally safe “bubble” is exactly what encourages the kind of development college can offer. What I find inspiring is when students take the responsibility upon themselves to create such an environment and give strength to other students to talk openly and honestly about how to deal with questionable, confusing, or harmful sexual experiences or relationships, and how to create healthy ones in their place.
To see the impressive work advocates are doing in their communities, check out The Red Flag Campaign, which was started by college students, faculty, and staff and community victim advocates in Virginia. Also take a look at the project started at my own university, the Every1 Campaign, in which students empower each other to make change in their own lives and in the lives of people around them.
