Community must be aware of rape, band together to prevent it

Walden is a fifth-year history student.  

By David Walden

On May 6, the Daily Bruin published a piece by Catherine Turner
of the U-Mass Daily Collegian about the recent gang rape of a
U-Mass college student (“U-Mass rape should raise
awareness,” Viewpoint).

As I read the piece, I was filled with the urge to vomit; my
heart began to beat fast and my adrenaline began to flow. For most
students at UCLA and other college campuses across the country, the
crime of rape rarely enters our minds, but for others it is a
terrifying reality. For two of my closest friends, it is also
reality, and they have both related their stories to me in
horrifying and sickening detail. I have seen firsthand how the
crime of rape affected these two young women, and to say that it is
a life changing experience is a severe understatement.

Both women were virgins at the times of the rapes. One was raped
four years ago and still has nightmares. The other got pregnant by
her rapist and had an abortion at age 17. Both were raped in public
places: one in the bathroom of a crowded shopping mall, and the
other in a hot tub at a party.

Over the past two years at UCLA, there have been 11 reported
rapes and attempted rapes, or an average of 5.5 per year. These
alarmingly low statistics prompted me to check out some sexual
assault statistics at the Violence Against Women online resource. I
discovered that on average, 80 percent of rapes are committed
against women under the age of 30. No weapons were used in 80
percent of these cases, and 60 percent occurred in a residence. 40
percent of reported rape victims are injured and 5 percent sustain
major injuries. Last, approximately 27.7 per 1000 college students
have reported being raped. That means that of the roughly 25,000
undergraduate students here at UCLA, 695 of them will be raped
before the end of the year. There is really no way to tell what the
real figures are, as most women never report the attack for various
reasons, such as feelings of shame and guilt. The two women I know
never reported the attacks.

Women need to protect themselves, and men need to watch out for
women. Although a given situation may seem safe, we all need to
understand that rape happens more often than we would like to
believe, and it happens in situations where we believe it could
never happen.

Don’t let a false sense of security lull you into feeling
like it can’t happen. Don’t let your friends walk
alone, and if you see or suspect something, trust your instincts
and get involved. Rape has been and will continue to be a major
problem for society. But awareness and vigilance are big steps
forward. I, for one, can never fathom what might motivate a man to
rape a woman, and I believe that no other crime is as callous and
selfish as rape.

I implore all of you to stop joking about the subject. To joke
about rape is to minimize the tremendous traumatic affects rape has
on those who have been assaulted. Imagine that it is you who was
raped, or perhaps your mother, sister or girlfriend. Now imagine
you are at a party and overhear people laughing and making jokes
about rape. Even comments like “I got raped by the phone
company this month” send shivers down my spine. Become aware.
Stay aware. Get involved. Protect yourself and those you love.