Speak Out Against Sexual Assault
by Robyn Tellefsen

Some Scary Stats:

• Four out of five high school students experience sexual harassment during their high school careers.

• 22 percent (about one-fifth) of all rape victims are between the ages of 18 and 24.

• The vast majority of rape victims -- nearly 80 percent -- know the person who rapes them.

• Fewer than one in five assaults are reported to law enforcement officials (20 percent of female and 12 percent of male victims). An estimated 82 percent of rapes go unreported.

Source: TAASA

FYI: April Is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The Stigma
The night before Maggie Watson ended her vacation last year, she and a guy she'd recently met took a walk on the beach. After he fixed her a drink, she found she had little control over her movements, and her head was swimming. The guy then "helped" Maggie back to his condo, where he verbally abused and raped her.

Now, through "Speak Up. Speak Out," the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault's (TAASA) public awareness campaign, women with stories like Maggie's can speak up about the crime committed against them, and speak out to raise awareness of the issue.

But, since three-quarters of all sex crimes are committed by someone the victim knows, as in Maggie's case, most victims are unwilling to report the crime in the first place. "There's a stigma associated with rape," explains Chris Lippincott, communication director for TAASA, the Austin-based organization committed to ending sexual violence in Texas. "People blame themselves, and worry that law enforcement will blame them, too."

In fact, Maggie, a sophomore marketing major at Southwest Texas State University (San Marcos, TX), held on to her terrible secret for a month. "I kept myself really busy: I went to the grocery store once a day, and I wasn't sleeping," she recalls. Finally, she broke down and confided in friends, and ultimately, a professional counselor.

The Significance
Lisa Federer, a 21-year-old English literature graduate student at the University of North Texas (Denton, TX), is also a date rape survivor. But in Lisa's case, she had been dating the man for more than a year. And, like Maggie, it was a long time before she could tell anyone what happened, or even admit it to herself. Now that she's sought help, she's slowly working through the pain.

"I'm beginning to see that not all men are like [my ex-boyfriend], and I can have a healthy relationship one day," she shares. "I have to tell myself that he made a choice to rape me, and there was nothing I could have done about it."

Maggie echoes those feelings. "It helped to realize it's not my fault. You can take measures to protect yourself, but rapists are the only ones who can prevent rape," she emphasizes.

Lisa does believe, however, that the way you respond to a negative situation is entirely up to you. "Accept that something bad happened to you, but incorporate it into yourself and make a choice to make good out of it," she recommends.

The Survivors
This, says Lippincott, is the kind of attitude that turns victims into survivors. "A survivor is someone who sees for herself a life beyond her victimization," he defines. "These strong and articulate women send the message that there is life after sexual victimization."

Through their involvement in "Speak Up. Speak Out," these women are providing hope for victims. "Girls need to realize they're not alone," says Maggie. "A lot of girls have been raped, but you don't hear a lot of girls talking about it."

So TAASA is reaching out to university and college students across Texas by distributing its public awareness campaign materials, and assisting a statewide campus tour of the "Vagina Monologues," dedicated to ending violence against women.

Hopefully, this campaign will clear up misconceptions about the crime. "A lot of people think rape happens on a dark street with a stranger and a knife," notes Lisa. "In most circumstances, it's not like that. Often, it's someone you know. And women have to protect themselves against that."

If you have been sexually assaulted, survivors advise you to tell someone, and get help. "This is not something you can deal with on your own," insists Lisa. A good first step is calling the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) Hotline, 800-656-HOPE, which will connect you to the rape crisis program closest to you.