College-Style

---

Love that Hurts: The Problem of Sexual Violence Posted: 01 Nov 2011 04:00 AM PDT By: Anna of Loras College. Follow me @aslorie577 If you think sexual violence isn't a problem- think again. Did you know that… 1 of 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. 9 of 10 rape victims are female. 60% of rapists are never reported to the police. 15/16 rapists will never spend a day in jail. Approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. Every year there are about 213,000 victims of sexual assault. Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. These are the facts. Sexual violence isn't only a problem, it's a huge problem. From rape, assault, domestic violence and unhealthy relationships, men, woman and children everywhere are suffering. Ways of Keeping Yourself and Your Friends Safe: Never, ever, ever walk alone at night. Bring at least one, but preferably several friends along with you. There is safety in numbers!! Carry mace, pepper spray or even hair spray — anything you can use to distract an assailant long enough for you to get away. Take self-defense courses. Not only is it great exercise, but it's a valuable skill that will enable you to better protect yourself. Be an active bystander. If someone you know is in a bad situation, do something about it! Your silence is consent and in order to end sexual violence, we need to stand up and let others know this is not acceptable and we won't allow it. Sexual violence isn't something that suddenly happens. There are warning signs for potential violence or abuse. Photo Signs that You are in an Unhealthy Relationship Include: He or she doesn't like you to hang out with anyone but them. He or she hits, punches, shoves or threatens you in any way. He or she puts you down, calls you names or makes fun of you. He or she manipulates, threatens or teases you to try and get you to do things. He or she blames you or takes their frustrations out on you when things go wrong. He or she interrupts, yells at or ignores you when you talk. You are afraid of your partner. You feel relieved when your partner leaves. While not every abuser will do these things, these are warning signs that you should never ignore. If you think you might be in an abusive relationship, do not hesitate to reach out for help. Don't talk it down to yourself — a situation in which any of these warning signs are present can quickly escalate into assault or domestic violence. Keep yourself safe before it's too late and seek help for you and your partner. Victimized If you've been assaulted, raped or sexually abused; you are not alone. There are people who understand and can help. It's important you don't suffer in silence. If you are the victim of sexual assault, rape or any kind of sexual violence, try to talk to someone you trust. A friend, family or clergy member can support you and direct you to the help you need. Look into rape crisis or health centers in your area for additional help. Know this is not your fault. No one for any reason ever deserves or "asks" for rape. What happened to you is a crime committed by your rapist that you are in no way responsible for. Photo Everyone knows someone who has suffered from sexual violence in some way. Victims are often suppressed in silence due to shame, grief and fear.  Supporting victims can be hard and not knowing what to say can be even harder. The best way to support victims is to simply be there. Healing from the pain of sexual violence is an extremely difficult process. Many victims go through an acute stage of shock, depression, anxiety and irritability before the eventual reorganization stage in which they are able to reclaim their lives. Many also develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD.) Try to be as understanding as possible, even when their behavior confuses, frustrates or hurts you. Other Resources National Rape Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network: www.rainn.org (24 hour hot-line and on-line chat service) Ending sexual violence begins with awareness. Find out if there is an organization on your campus working to raise awareness and if not — start one! Together, we can make our campuses and our world better and safer places to live for everyone! Sources: http://www.rainn.org/ http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/relationships/your-relationship-good-you-19922.htm http://www.hopeforhealing.org/friend.html Thoughts? What are you doing or can you do to raise awareness about sexual violence on your campus? We always love to hear from you so comment below, tweet us @CollegeStyle12 or shoot us an e-mail at info@college-style.com!

You are subscribed to email updates from College Style | Fashion Tips & Trends for College Students | Apartment & Dorm Decorating To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610