Grabbing or groping a person without their consent are desperate acts of perversion. The same goes for ogling at someone’s body for too long or texting unsolicited photos. While they may not seem like a big deal, you’re ruining someone’s day to say the least. There is no excuse for sexual harassment.
Contrary to the sexual harassment case that was reported to the University Police Department this month, many survivors choose not to speak up, especially survivors of rape.
Allie Jones, 20, is majoring in geography and journalism at HSU. She was harassed and assaulted twice last semester by two different men, both on and off campus. The worst incident involved stalking and attempted rape.
It took Jones almost a month before calling UPD, yet she disguised her report with hypothetical questions about how to deal with sexual assault. Jones did not get help that day. In fact, she didn’t want help.
“I realized that I didn’t want to talk about it,” said Jones. “I didn’t want to rehash it… you just want some normalcy, because you just want to move on.”
Before long, Jones opened up to her friends and accepted their emotional support. She also signed up for Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) and credits them for partial recovery.
Sergeant Janelle Jackson of UPD handles cases of sexual misconduct. She says that sexual harassment is “a burden to hold in.”
Survivors who don’t speak up are suppressing trauma that may lead to long-term consequences of phobias and chronic stress. If many stories go untold, sexual harassment wins. Speak up in numbers and let your voices be heard.
If you feel inclined to speak up, there are resources available to you, including North Coast Rape Crisis Team (NCRCT), Sexual Assault Prevention Committee (SAPC) and Campus Assistance Response and Education (CARE).
