Code Red Entertainment will hold a sexual assault awareness workshop today from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Event Center to discuss sexual assault and how it affects the lives of students.
The workshop is designed to facilitate discussion amongst audience members and speakers that will open up lines of communication within the community about issues that are becoming an increasing concern on campuses nationwide.
“If there are issues that are taboo that are affecting a certain percentage of our community,” Jose Legaspi, USU Social Awareness Coordinator, said, “why shouldn’t we all talk about it?”
Legaspi’s motive is to encourage this integral communication between students and the campus community that they are a part of.
Last November, a study by the National Research Council revealed that incidents of rape and sexual assault are grossly underreported, in large part due to the social stigma attached to these types of crimes.
The intention of the workshop is to reduce the stigma via communication. Attendees will learn why, when and how victim-blaming occurs, as well as deepen their understanding of the definition and effects of sexual assault.Nearly one in four women have or will experience rape or sexual assault while in college, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“It can happen to anyone and there needs to be more programs,” Sarah Reeves (senior, Liberal Studies) said.
“[The one in four statistic] makes you question everything every day you come to school.”
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness month, with the workshop on the third kicking off a month-long series of programs.
All of the workshops have been designed to educate the student body on sexual violence and what we can do as a community to stop it.
Sexual assault includes rape, abuse, domestic abuse and non-consensual acts. Raising awareness of these types of crimes on campus have inspired new laws surrounding all types of sexual violence as well as a White House task force to protect students from sexual assault. Community education is the next step in preventing sex crimes from happening to members of our campus community.
By engaging students in conversations that allow for the observance of cultural factors that promote or excuse sexual violence, we can begin to think critically about the role these crimes play in our everyday lives.