By Marielle Winuk

Cal Poly Humboldt students at Pelican Bay State Prison met Oct. 1 on Zoom to discuss sexualized violence prevention and how to build a culture that supports survivors. The conversation stemmed from an end sexualized violence course taken by the students at Pelican Bay.

A lot of students at CPH and Pelican Bay struggled to find the space to talk about sexualized violence and patriarchal narratives growing up, they agreed there is a growing need for these conversations.

Women’s Resource Center Program Director Namixtulu Esteva discussed how a lot of students have reached out, feeling unsafe in need of spaces to have conversations about sexualized violence.

A central theme in their discussion was that supporting survivors requires patience and solidarity. The Title IX process can feel daunting and overwhelming for survivors to navigate. Being survivor-centered means listening and offering resources, without pressuring someone to seek help before they are ready. 

“It’s really just about how the person feels and how they’re willing to accept your help or not,” Esteva said. ”It’s so easy for society to try to justify action because it’s so instilled and engraved in the way that we operate as people.”

The discussion turned to the ways everyday language and media can normalize objectification of women. While taking the course at Pelican Bay, one of the students talked about the prison culture norm of decorating your room with photos of women. They said that it reflected women as a commodity and objectified them. His seven-year-old daughter called him on FaceTime and asked him if this is what he thinks of women. This opened the conversation between him and his roommate to rethink their day-to-day actions.

Participants acknowledged that calling out harmful behavior can be uncomfortable, but staying silent can contribute to a harmful cycle. While taking the course, students analyzed their methods of communication and language surrounding how they talk about women. Recognizing misogyny in music, movies and conversations they have with others can help deconstruct previous misogynistic ideas. 

The conversation highlighted how masculine stereotypes play a role in sexualized violence. Hegemonic masculinity describes cultural ideals that associate manhood with dominance, control and emotional toughness. Those expectations can make vulnerability seem like weakness, discouraging men from talking openly about sex, harm, or their own behavior. When difficult topics are treated as taboo, it can be harder for people to recognize harmful conduct, support someone who discloses an experience, or take responsibility for their actions. 

“We need to be holding these spaces for students to be able to just like, unapologetically… show up there and not have to feel shame for having these conversations,” Esteva said. 

All of this is addressed in the annual Take Back the Night event held in April. Take Back the Night is an international event about unity and making space for survivors. The movement started in the 1970s with local rallies and marches from feminist activists who felt unsafe in public spaces at night. 

“It not only addresses sexualized violence, but it addresses partner violence, different subtopics of sexualized violence, like domestic violence and gendered violence,” Esteva said.  

It takes an entire community to help change the culture around sexualized violence. Holding spaces for people to talk about their experiences and learn from others is needed now more than ever.

Marielle is the layout editor with an interest in sports and elections. Contact her at mmw146@humboldt.edu.