Uncategorized
The Beginnings of Fighting Rape Culture at OU
< < Back toOne year marks Ohio University students engaging in oral sex on Court Street.
The intoxicated students were spotted and filmed by onlookers near Chase Bank and the video went viral. Sources from all over the world picked up the story and many were confused to if this act was rape or public indecency. This event posed the question: what does rape really consist of?
Although the issue may be hard to contain as black and white, a student group concieved after the Chase Bank incident continues to make noise in dealing with sexual violence on campus.
The group of students, enraged by the apparent "rape culture" at OU came forth and used the occurance as a starting point. Students formed the group boldy named, F-Rape Culture. According to the group's Facebook page, the idea behind the name stems from people concieving the f-word to be "dirtier" than the word "rape."
Jessica Ensily, a member of F-Rape Culture, says, "teaching kids at a young age what consent means, what kind of language is really dangerous," can help spread awareness to fight the common idea of victimization.
The Student Senate has offered an alliance with F-Rape Culture. "If we are trying to fight rape culture and want to prevent sexual assalt on this campus, it is extremely necessary that all people on this campus-students, faculty, staff- are all fighting rape culture." OU Student Senate Vice President Caitlyn McDaniel said.
Around the same time the two student's sexual activity on Court Street went viral, another investagation started. During OU's 2013 Homecoming Weekend, a Michigan man allegedly raped a woman in Athens. Police arrested Dedrick Peterson of Ann Arbor on Tuesday. Peterson is being held in a Michigan jail and is expected to be transported to Athens County next week.
Although it might seem like sexual violence has heightened at OU, a recently released Clery Report shows forcible rape has stayed about the same over the last few years.
The F-R-C, still not satisfied with sexual violence on campus, plans to march October 10 to celebrate their first year as a student group.