“Drawing the Shades”

Written by: April L Elliott

With music from: Tori AmosMy Chemical Romance NirvanaDashboard Confessional Cherry MonroeFall Out Boy U2Counting Crows The Strokes Kelly Clarkson

Dedicated to: k,b,b,a And the 25 other interviewed and the nameless survivors whose stories remain unknown.

for those who had the courage to share...

…what they hid from everyone else...

…because they believed...

…it might save someone.

Rape & Sexual assault are not uncommon phenomena

If everyone in this room stood up who knew someone who had been raped...

…roughly 1/4 of you would be standing.

DO IT

If you know someone who has been attacked...

STAND UP

Look around the room

Rape is NOT somebody else’s problem

Forget the law

Forget what you have learned in the past

What is RAPE?

Rape is pain, anger, bitterness, loneliness, traumatic, sad, unnecessary, violating, violent and unforgettable.

Rape is forced or threatened unwanted sexual activity with someone you know or have just met.

Rape can happen at anytime, or with anyone…it doesn’t matter how you’re dressed, what you’re doing, or if you’ve gone out with that person before.

STOP Rape is WRONG at anytime & any place, with anyone

What is CONSENT?

Consent is given when 2 people have EQUAL POWER in any given situation

Consent is freely giving your permission WITHOUT fear or pain

with CONSENT you have RESPECT

without CONSENT you have RAPE

“I never thought anything like that could ever happen to me.”

1 in 6 women will be raped in their lifetime

Women aged run a greater risk of being raped than any other population group

1 in 5 women will be assaulted by an acquaintance during their stay at college.

Over 90% of these women know their attacker

A woman is most likely to be assaulted between her first day of school and Thanksgiving Break on campus as a freshman

Men can be victims of sexual assault.

The majority of these will be male-on-male assaults, 74% will know their attacker

Almost no male victims will report the attack

“It’s like even before it happened, I never had a voice.”

“And the nightmare just goes on.”

Every 21 hours there is a rape on a college campus

The average rape lasts 2-4 hours

Every 2.5 minutes a sexual assault occurs in the United States

67% of all rapes occur at night, 2/3 of those between 6pm and midnight

Rape in the United States is 10 times higher than in England

And more than 40 times higher than Japan

“I would have gone to court, but no one cared.”

Only 39 % of rapes are ever reported

Less than 5% of rapists will go to jail

Only about 1% of male students who rape are prosecuted

Most rape cases are settled out of court

“I’m not stupid, I could smell the trouble, and the beer, and the hatred.”

80 % of all rapes are alcohol and drug related

75% of male students involved in rape had been drinking or using drugs

65% of female students involved in rape had been drinking or using drugs

68% of acquaintance rapes happen at a party

32% of acquaintance rapes happen in a residence hall room

Nearly ¾ of those rapes happened when victims were so intoxicated they were unable to consent or refuse.

“Never mind, I need a drink, I’m messed up.”

Excessive alcohol and/or drug use could also be an indication someone needs help

Stay alert for behavioral changes

“You can’t be a college student today and honestly think that sort of thing is right.”

43 % of college-aged men conceded to using coercive behavior to have sex, but did not admit that it was rape.

In a UCLA study 35% of college-aged men said they would violently rape if they knew they could get away with it

In a similar Virginia study, 38% of male students said they would

16% of male students who had committed rape, took part in gang rape

MYTH: Women say “No” when what they really mean is “Maybe” or “Yes”

About 1/3 of women surveyed reported that they HAD said NO, they did not mean YES or MAYBE

ATTITUDE: Power, aggressiveness and getting what you want are part of “being a man” in our society

These myths and attitudes lead to:

HATE

SEXISM

PAIN

VIOLENCE

ANGER

And: RAPE

“I didn’t get up for a week. I had to heal up before I could deal with being alive…”

No 2 survivors will react the same way

Reactions may vary from depression or apathy to insomnia or anger and shame

Male victims often become homophobic and question their sexuality after a rape

Male victims are more likely than women to become perpetrators of sexual assault

If you or a friend are raped or sexually assaulted:

Get to a safe place

Call your RA, Health And Wellness Educator or a PEER

Call RWU Public Safety or the Police

Go to Women and Infants Hospital or Rhode Island Hospital in Providence

Don’t go through this alone

There are several resources where you can get help: Health Services Counseling Center Office of Judicial Affairs/ Community Standards A Team CARE member Department of Public Safety Bristol/Portsmouth Police Sexual Assault & Trauma Resource Center of RI

Now that you have felt the emotional side of rape...

…and you’ve seen the undisputed facts...

ASK YOURSELF

“How do I feel?”

“What can I do?”

Don’t be afraid to get involved

“Do you hear me?”

Special thanks to: Virginia Commonwealth University, Rape Abuse and Incest National Network & Students like you for making this possible

Special Thanks to… Gordon “GW” Wood and Stage Crew (thanks Pam!) Division of Student Affairs The CAST of RWU students: Bill Fleming Audrey Rostohar Zack Gregus Emilie Larrivee

Powerpoint updated by RWU student Krystle LaChance Music updated by RWU students Krystle LaChance and Kristal Feliciano