Rape and sexual assault are difficult to talk about, making it hard for people to seek help. According to Josh Carlson, the Outreach and Prevention Coordinator at the Center for Student Health and Wellbeing, “There [is] a stigma with speaking up sometimes… so we want to make sure that we’re visible and we’re sharing those resources so students are more likely… to feel comfortable speaking up.”
On Oct. 16, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes was hosted by Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAVE) with the help of Title IX. The aim of the event was to educate people about the sexual assault and violence women face in a interactive way. Students were encouraged to put on high heels and attempt to walk a mile. This year two students challenged themselves to complete a five kilometer walk. Prevention Coordinator for Title IX Hannah Bershing said that the walk was a way to bring “light [to] some topics that are harder to have [a] conversation around, and this feels more of a light hearted activity.”
While the event is about assault faced by women, it is also about ending sexual assault for everyone. “In the past we have had language that said men’s sexual violence, but this year we’ve really tried to steer away from it and just open it up to all sexualized violence instead,” said Bershing. While 85 to 90 percent of sexual assault is perpetrated by men, men can still be victims. As with all victims of assault, it can be hard to reach out for help: only six percent of male victims report the violence they encountered due to the stigma associated with it.
Some issues such as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are far more common than one would think. More than one in three women will experience IPV in their lifetime and the same is true for one in six men. Sexual violence is prevalent and difficult to discuss, with the statics painting a sobering picture. One in five women have experience sexual violence, one in four have experienced physical violence, and one in eight have been stalked. Among men the numbers are lower but still concerning with one in 24 experiencing sexual violence, one in seven experiencing physical violence, and one in 24 being stalked.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a way of informing students about the resources that exist to help them. Alan Mendoza Estrada, a fourth year student who donned heels said, “It’s less about the experience… more about bringing up the topic to have that conversation.”
For more information or assistance with assault or sexual violence, you can visit the Center for Student Health and Wellbeing or with Title IX. Both are located in the Admin building.
