Pay attention to SlutWalk

One of five college women will be sexually assaulted, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. This means that, statistically, about 745 women in the IU Class of 2017 will be victims of sexual assault.

Besides being an absolutely abhorrent snapshot of college life in the United States, this raises an important question.

If, statistically, about 745 women in each graduating class will be victims of sexual assault, why have only about 120 sexual assaults been reported at IU from 2010 to 2012? The fact is that many cases will go unreported to authorities because of victim blaming.

On January 24th, 2011, a Toronto police officer, in response to rapes in Toronto, stated, “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.”

From this statement sprung the Toronto “SlutWalk,” a parade meant to protest the victim-blaming and slut-shaming that plague victims of sexual assault. Since then, SlutWalks have sprung up across the world, with one even in Bloomington happening each year. Protestors march with signs saying things such as “I’m not asking for it” and “Society Teaches Don’t Get Raped Instead Of Don’t Rape.”

And what really makes an event like the SlutWalk so important is that it brings attention to the issue of sexual assault and how victims are not to blame. Unfortunately, with any good cause comes those who feel the need to attack victims.

On the Bloomington SlutWalk event page, a supposed member of the Traditionalist Youth Network, IU’s favorite hate-mongering student group, attacked the idea of SlutWalks in general.

The man stated multiple times that though he doesn’t support rape culture, he thinks slut culture is also a problem. A member of the event said the man encouraged members of the SlutWalk to “put some clothes on, go to church, find a chivalrous man, have a family and stop being sluts.”

He made it clear that TradYouth thinks a return to traditional gender roles of women being subservient to men will end rape culture. And it should bring to light that some people just don’t understand sexual assault.

Victims of sexual assault have the autonomy of their bodies forcibly taken from them. These victims are assaulted, they lose their sense of dignity and then are often blamed for it. SlutWalks aren’t designed to glorify dressing or acting in a certain way.
They’re designed to show that rape shouldn’t occur under any circumstance, regardless of the dress or behavior of the victim.

TradYouth plans on protesting the SlutWalk in Dunn Meadow, and I pray they find the true meaning behind SlutWalks and accept it.

After all, we don’t blame pedophilia on the way little girls dress, so we shouldn’t blame rape on the way women dress. Period.

ajguenth@indiana.edu