“He did not like that answer,” Katherine told me solemnly.

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The answer was no. The question was consent. The consequences for him? Absolutely nothing.

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Sound like a familiar story?

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Katherine, whose name has been changed, attends Loyola Marymount University. I sat down with her for an interview early in the fall semester as I prepared to write this piece. I didn’t know it at the time, but we would speak just before discussions about sexual assault would spark across LMU’s campus, reigniting questions about victim blaming and the effectiveness of campus resources. Students and professionals alike addressed the best ways to alert the campus of a sexual assault, educate students about consent, and support survivors.

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When Katherine was a sophomore in high school, she had a good group of friends and had been dating her boyfriend for a year. One evening, she had gotten in a fight with her mom, and was looking forward to getting out of the house to receive some support. Her boyfriend was throwing a party that night, a welcome distraction. But shortly after she arrived, he became pushy and belligerent.

 

“He kept grabbing my hand when I got there, and [he] was like ‘Let’s go to my room, let’s go to my room.’ And I was like, ‘I’m really not in the mood right now. Can we just go watch some TV? I’m just not feeling it right now. I don’t want to do anything.’ And he didn’t like that answer, because he was obviously drinking. I smelled it on his breath.” He was a football player, and he used his strength to grab her and pull her into the back bedroom.

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The guy she cared about, sought refuge in, and trusted assaulted her. Through the typical representations of rape in the media, we see perpetrators as shadowy strangers. But according to RAINN, the Rape and Incest National Network, three out of every four rapes are perpetrated by someone the victim knows.

 

The only thing Katherine could do after the assault was escape. “I just ran out of there and I just ran all the way home. Honestly, I don’t even remember the run home because it was just such a blur. And after that, I was in denial that for a long time that even happened, and I was just asking myself, ‘Did I let him think it was okay to do that?’”

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The burden she placed on herself to take responsibility for the event was compounded by the reactions of her peers, who discredited her story. In fact, it made Katherine doubt that she had been violated at all. “Everyone said, ‘Are you sure it happened?’ And they said, ‘Are you exaggerating?’ And it made me question myself, I’m like oh god, I don’t know. Maybe I am wrong, maybe it didn’t happen,” she explained.

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Sexual assault survivors may even shamed or stigmatized when they come out about the event, which Katherine learned when her best friend told everyone about the assault without her permission. “I was just horrified and mortified that she broke my trust; she was supposed to be my best friend,” she said. Katherine ended up having to cut off her friendships because of the blame and harassment she received.

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Luckily, one individual who decided to believe Katherine’s story was instrumental for her ability to cope through the rest of high school. “I was actually alone, for like my entire high school career. I made one really good friend, and she stuck with me,” Katherine says. “We’re not friends anymore, but I still thank God for her because I would not have been able to get through that period.”

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I first met Katherine in a class last spring, where she told her story out loud to a group of people for the first time. Before that, it had taken Katherine years to feel comfortable enough to open up about her assault - she had only told her sisters and a close friend previously. After telling her story to the class, she realized that sharing her experience could empower others. “That was when it resonated with me,” she said. “I can use this to do something good. I don’t have to be a victim of it; I can use it to help someone.”

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The cruelty Katherine received from former friends and peers in high school compelled her to join an environment where women would receive nothing but support. She is involved in an organization that brings women together to motivate and inspire one another, rather than be in competition. It also encourages women to see beyond mainstream conceptions of beauty, emphasizing self-esteem and self-worth.

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Not long after meeting Katherine, I met another survivor named Victoria, who had written a story about her sexual assault for the international journal, The Truth About the Fact. I was attending a publication party in the English department when I heard this poised, confident young woman read the words that so many would be afraid to share.

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Victoria met her ex at sleep-away camp at age fourteen, and they dated long distance, meeting up as much as possible. She imagined a fairytale ending with him, hoping he would be her first and last partner, as she was saving herself for marriage. He robbed her of that dream. “I swear on my life I said no,” she said in her piece.

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Later, Victoria engaged me in casual conversation, and I was surprised she bounced back so quickly from reading such a deeply personal piece of writing. Of course, getting to the place was not easy. “It took two and a half years to be able to look myself in the eye and say ‘I was raped,” Victoria wrote in her piece. She told me about how her assault had changed her life: how it damaged her physically and psychologically, how it brought on depression and self-harm, how it affected her self-image and future relationships. Her assault was etched in her memory, taking away the end of her childhood as she dealt with the aftermath.

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But telling her story was not damaging; it was a way of taking back her power. By writing, Victoria had demonstrated a determination to fight back against the person who had assaulted her. She works to dismantle rape culture in her everyday life: she has no tolerance for rape jokes, instills respect for women into her younger brother, and stands by a close friend who was assaulted.

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A common thread between these young women is the way they are taking a horrific situation and using it to do something powerful. Katherine is a positive leader to young women on LMU’s campus, encouraging body positivity and self-love. Victoria hopes to continue to share her story with a larger audience.

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Both found healing from sharing her experience with others. In her book, “Trauma and Recovery,” Judith Herman, a psychiatrist who studies PTSD, writes, “Many survivors seek the resolution of their traumatic experience within the confines of their personal lives. But a significant minority, as a result of the trauma, feel called upon to engage in a wider world. In so doing, they feel connected to a power larger than themselves.” The select few who elect to share their story publicly create a network of support for themselves and others.

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As a woman in college, sexual assault is a topic I’ve been regularly made aware of. I’m in a feminist service organization that works with women and children, families of which are often survivors of domestic violence. Our focus on women’s health, including sexual health, reproductive rights, and mental health has made me reflect on the consequences of sexual assault on survivors. I think about this subject when I’m walking alone at night. I think about it when I go out. I think about the survivors I know, who have taken their narratives back when someone has tried to steal a part of who they are.

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“It’s always about the rapist, it’s always how old he is, how he did it, and where he is now, whether that be jail, or prison, or whatever,” Katherine told me. We often focus on the perpetrator as a way to channel our anger at a broken system that excuses rape. Instead, we need to listen to - and actually hear - the stories of survivors.

 

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The LMU community was shaken after a sexual assault occurred on campus, on Sunday, September 18th, in the first floor bathroom of the William H. Hannon Library between 6 and 8 pm. Through surveillance footage, DPS was able to obtain photos to share with the community, and then identify a suspect in a relatively short time.

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The William H. Hannon Library is not just a place for students to gather and study, but a safe haven for them to pursue academics and learning in peace. From above from the lobby, the library almost evokes the feeling of being in a chapel, with a large cross cut into the very wall, glowing a warm white light. The first floor has a familiar hum of groups discussing projects coupled with the steady typing of papers. Following the event, there was a heavy silence that pervaded the surrounding area.

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In an email to the LMU community, Dean of the Library Kristen Brancolini wrote, “As we evaluate and improve the physical security of our facility, we seek to strike a balance between security and intellectual discoverability, which is at the center of everything we do here.” Following the incident, DPS officers stayed close to the scene, and Community of Care guides were posted in the bathrooms, listing faculty and staff to contact in the event of an emergency or misconduct.

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Public Safety sent out an LMU Alert, which included safety tips, such as “Always remain alert of your surroundings” and “Look confident and purposeful as you walk.” Some students found this email controversial, interpreting the advice as victim blaming. Diana Delgado, a senior at LMU, felt that the advice from Public Safety was information most students were already aware of. She wanted to see mandates about consent in the emails. “I wish P-Safe...instead of saying, ‘People should be careful in the dark,’ they should say, ‘Remember that consent must be enthusiastic and verbal and out loud and ongoing,’” she advised. “That is much more helpful to everyone - both for people who need to hear the consent and for people who don’t know how to express it.”

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An anonymous student remarked about that she was frustrated with the email as well, stating that she felt Public Safety was more focused on how someone could protect themselves, rather than opening a larger dialogue about bystander intervention and intervening in difficult situations. “That’s what LMU is supposed to be about, that goes with our mission statement, where we are with and for each other,” she said. “The email that Public Safety sent out was really troubling. It was an email that I know many faculty, staff, and students have protested before in other similar situations.”

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To respond to concerns about the wording of the emails, Alicia Sissac, DPS Associate of Investigations, said, “When something happens on campus, we do have to alert the campus.” She said that the intention of the email was to prevent crime and keep students safe, not to victim blame. DPS clarified the purpose of the safety tips in a later email, which read: “Victims are not responsible for the criminal acts of others; the victim is not to blame, and also included on-campus resources for students and staff.

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Sissac explains, “We did get a few emails where students said they felt that the emails or the tips were victim blaming, so there was an adjustment made. And it did appear that the adjustment that was made was appropriate and it was exactly what students wanted to see and hear, that victims are not to blame.”

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Safety tips can potentially victim blame, which can be seen at universities across the country. The Police Department of the University of Wisconsin, Madison did so in their website. Their safety tips stated: “If you present yourself as easy prey, then expect to attract some wolves.” Insensitive remarks like these reflect the prominence of rape culture in the way we address sexual assault. LMU Alerts should directly include a definition of consent to send a clear message to students that sexual misconduct is not tolerated on campus. If safety tips are considered reminders, there should also be reminders about what constitutes assault.

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“I understand that there’s a line between taking precautions, but when they send out safety tips the weekend of Halloween - who are you telling to prevent this?” said Janie McManamon, a junior Women and Gender Studies and Asian and Pacific Studies major. She’s referring to another email that was sent out with the same safety tips as before. Among students I’ve spoken to, many remark on a lack of response from Public Safety in protecting survivors in the way that they claim, especially after the events that occur. McManamon said, “I don’t hear about perpetrators being removed from the campus, about perpetrators being barred from the school.”

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While information about the number of perpetrators being removed from campus is unavailable, campus sexual assaults statistics are made public because of the Clery Act. These can be accessed in DPS’s crime logs, as well as in their annual security and fire safety reports. Because of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, DPS now includes incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking in their reports.

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According to DPS's the 2016 Annual Security and Fire Safety report, there were 12 reported incidents of rape on campus in 2014, all of which occurred in residence halls, and in 2015, there were six reported rapes, five of which occurred in residence halls. According to the DPS daily crime log, there have now been four reported sexual assaults as of the start of 2016, but this number has not been finalized. Upon learning the number of incidents of reported assault on campus, I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was. And these numbers only reflect students who were comfortable enough to come forward and report.

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When speaking to Katherine, she reflected on how commonly the issue of sexual assault gets minimized or cast aside. “I think people aren’t realizing that this is an ongoing issue,” she said. “It’s not just, it happens once and it’s over. There are girls every single day being sexually assaulted, especially on college campuses. And most of them don’t even speak up about it.”

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In a recent survey of LMU students conducted by Heather Domingo, 36% of students believed it was somewhat likely they would experience sexual assault on campus, and 54% believed it was not likely. Interestingly, 49% believed that it was somewhat likely they would experience sexual assault at an off-campus event, whereas 33% believed it was not likely. This survey was composed of 141 students: 48 first years, 11 second years, 23 third years, 44 fourth years, 1 fifth year, and 14 alumni.

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These findings suggest that students are more conscious of or concerned with their risk of sexual assault at off-campus events. This may be accounted for by knowledge of the rape at the Yorktown Avenue residence on November 1st, 2014, which prompted widespread investigation. An LMU Alert from that time stated that DPS was made aware of "other similar alleged incidents of sexual assault and sexual and interpersonal misconduct" reportedly occurring at other SAE events as well. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the fraternity that hosted the party, was not officially registered at LMU.

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However, the number of reported assaults on campus and recent assault in the library indicate that sexual assault does not only happen at off-campus events. ASLMU hosted a Dialogue on Campus Sexual Assault Panel on October 27th, which addressed some of the concerns that students had about the sexual assault on campus, particularly the emails sent out by DPS. Sissac explained, “We want everyone in the community to feel empowered, not for you to be fearful and not to victim blame.”

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Before becoming an Associate of Investigation, Sissac spent years as a police officer assigned most often to sex crimes. “I definitely think this is something we need to talk about more now,” she said during a Dialogue on Campus Sexual Assault Panel. Sissac spoke to the shift she’s seen in the frequency of reporting at LMU. “It’s important that students and complainants feel comfortable coming forward, and saying ‘This is something that happened to me.’ I definitely see that there’s less of a stigma connected to reporting.”

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In a report by M.E. Karns, “Reporting of Sexual Assault: Institutional Comparisons, 2013,” LMU ranked number 11 of the top 20 institutions with 7,500-9,999 students that had the highest assault report ratios. Despite its negative connotation, a high ratio of reporting likely indicates that procedures by the university are encouraging students to report, rather than reflecting an unsafe campus.

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In the year following the implementation of the LMU Cares program in April of 2014, there was an increase in the number of reported sexual assaults, which suggests that stigma around sexual assault may have been reduced. Deciding to report is a personal decision and should not be pressured on students in any way, but the national dialogue and increased conversation at LMU could have contributed to students feeling more comfortable coming forward.

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LMU Cares, which stands for Campus Awareness Resource Education Services, is a comprehensive program to target sexual misconduct implemented in 2014. Briana Maturi, Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Student Affairs, directs the program. She leads workshops on consent, sexual and interpersonal misconduct, bystander intervention, resources, and what steps to take if a student or a friend has been assaulted. Starting in Fall 2014, all incoming freshman and transfer students were required to participate in a workshop called Code Certified.

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“So many times what we’re talking about is a situation where one or more of the people involved are confused about consent. And whether they’re confused because of society building up this rape culture, whether they’re confused because of whatever reason - I’m not condoning it, but that’s part of the problem,” said Maturi. We sat in her colorful, inviting office, full of mementos she has collected over the years from working as the Assistant Director for Residence Life. “What I really try to do with the education is - we need to create real dialogues about difficult topics that don’t always leave you all with the right answer, but leave you with the skills to get there.”

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Maturi facilitates real conversations with students, treating them like adults and giving them the space to discuss their thoughts about what constitutes consent or sexual assault. With this dialogue, students can better prepare themselves to engage in conversations with their peers, so that LMU’s definition of clear, coherent, willing, and ongoing consent is more likely to be understood and remembered.

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“LMU Cares has been pretty great, making people take the mandatory classes,” said Diana Delgado, a senior who had wanted the Public Safety emails to include a definition of consent. She reflected on coming back to LMU after a fellow student had experienced an assault on campus, and was relieved to see awareness about consent being broadcasted. “I saw all those banners that said, “I respect consent.” Every single time I saw that I was like, ‘Take that!’”

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Senior Anastasia Rivera, a Women’s and Gender Studies major, believes that responsibility ultimately lies within students themselves to care about consent and sexual assault. “I feel that LMU Cares is very positive in providing these programs. They’re really working to make sure they’re a source and an ally to students on campus,” she said. “LMU can only do so much in the case of preparing students, and providing them the knowledge - it’s just up to the person to actually be accountable.”

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McManamon, who earlier voiced concern about the responsiveness of Public Safety, worries that LMU Cares only affects those who care about it. “I think LMU Cares could do a little more; it ends up being for people who are really passionate about it, people who really work with it. Or it ends up being the Women’s and Gender Studies majors or minors who know the most about it and it’s unfortunate because you get people who blame themselves for something that’s awful that’s happened to them,” she said. “Or you get people who blame others, or talk about others in a way that’s degrading and demeaning and renders them as an object.”

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Katherine will find herself in conversation with skeptics who believe that rape is over-reported. They have no idea what she’s gone through, so their doubts reflect a common belief in the false rape narrative. “Everyone thinks people are making it up. Which is a very common conversation I’ve had with a lot of people,” she says. “Especially guys, they think that some girls say that they got raped for attention. They would say ‘I feel like everyone gets sexually assaulted.’”

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Considering the legal, social, and emotional ramifications of accusing someone of sexual assault, “getting attention” would not appear to be a strong motivator. Yet, the myth that women accuse innocent men for this reason is rampant, as insulting and insensitive as it may be. This narrative contributes to the low rate of reporting; in fact, only 5% of rapes and attempted rapes are reported to campus authorities, according to a report by the National Institute of Justice.

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“There’s not a lot of positive attention when you come forward to report sexual assault,” Maturi said. “Across the board, all crimes are falsely reported two to eight percent. Why do so many people assume that when it’s sexual assault, it’s higher than that? There’s not a lot of glory that comes out of having that strength, unfortunately. So we as a community need to start changing that.”

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LMU students are trying to make that change by showing their support and empowering survivors of sexual violence. In October, not long after the assault on campus, Belles Service Organization hosted its annual Domestic Violence Month, centering on breaking the silence of those facing intimate partner violence and abuse. In a silent protest held on October 12th, members and fellow students with tape-covered mouths stood in solidarity, holding signs with statistics about domestic violence, representing how this issue often goes under the radar.

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The focus of the month was to encourage survivors and supporters to speak up about domestic violence. Sofia Hernandez, a senior member of Belles, spoke about the significance of providing a voice to those who feel they don’t have one. “Our voice can carry power, courage, compassion and really can change this conversation of domestic violence that we haven’t had yet, so our hope is to break that silence,” she said.

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What survivors need most is to feel that they can be honest with others and encouraged to speak up if they wish to do so. Rachel McCormack, the social justice and spirituality chair of Belles, said, “With dating violence or unhealthy relationships, you just have to understand that it’s really complex, it’s not just a horrible person doing this bad thing, it is someone you had that connection to. So as a friend, I think the biggest thing is not being judgmental, and just being present, whether it’s an unhealthy relationship or a sexual assault.”

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A campaign called Start By Believing works to help communities respond appropriately to sexual assault. It challenges the assumption that survivors of sexual assault must be doubted and questioned to be fair to the alleged perpetrator. In a court of law, the notion of “innocent until proven guilty” is essential for preventing the wrongful conviction of innocent persons. However, because this rule does little to support survivors, many college campuses adopt a standard of preponderance of evidence. Essentially, if there is more evidence indicating the assault occurred than not, that is enough for the university to take action against the defendant.

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Some may argue that the cards are stacked against the defendant for this reason. Delgado, whose friend had been assaulted on campus, felt instead that the standard was fair. She learned about this standard while supporting her friend at Judicial Affairs. “It didn’t seem awful, like ‘We believe the victim by default,’” she remarked. “It wasn’t violating anybody’s rights.”

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“We did not swing the pendulum all the way into the direction of being unfair to people who are responding parties. We always have to remember in those situations that both are our students, both get the fair and impartial treatment and that we don’t just assume one thing or another,” said Sara Trivedi, Title IX coordinator. She assured that all students get a fair trial and can appeal if they choose to do so.

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The way professionals respond to a sexual assault has a major impact on both parties. How a survivor is treated, in particular, can either improve or diminish the quality of information gained when trying to collect evidence. According to the Start By Believing, professionals who are more open minded receive a more honest and positive response from survivors. Instead of a law enforcement official approaching the survivor with an accusatory demeanor, they should take a more empathetic tone, encouraging the survivor to come forward and share their story at a comfortable pace.

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How much power do survivors have in the process of reporting their own assault at LMU? To put the survivor in control of their situation, it’s vital to understand what is available and what considerations to take during these very personal decisions. Survivors have the choice to reach out to any resources they need, and at any time.

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“We like our victims or complainants to know that they’re in charge. Because oftentimes somebody will report something and they don’t necessarily want us to take action,” explains Sissac. LMU aims for the survivor not only to receive proper care for themselves, but to have the autonomy to decide what kind of proceedings they desire. They have plenty of options, whether or not they decide to report.

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Now, thanks to the recent federal passage of The Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act on October 7th, survivors have a mandated federal right to obtain a rape kit without cost, and for that kit to be preserved for the duration of the maximum statue of limitations, and longer if requested by the survivor. They are also granted the option of having a sexual assault advocate and a medical examination regardless of whether or not they report to law enforcement. This expansion of survivors’ rights improves resources for survivors who decide they do not wish pursue a criminal report, but regardless deserve the resources and support.

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One challenge students face is trusting campus resources in the first place. According to a recent study in the journal Criminal Justice Review, “College Women’s Perceptions of and Inclinations to Use Campus Sexual Assault Resources,” women who had been victimized in the past had less confidence in campus resources than those who had not experienced assault before. Some students may even feel left out of the conversation. During the Dialogue on Sexual Assault, when ASLMU President LaShyra Nolen was asked what she had heard from students, she admitted to mixed reviews. “Marginalized students do not feel the same support,” she said, remarking that there should be a greater effort to reach out to these groups.

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Others students may reach out to an LMU staff member believing that they are speaking in privacy when they are not. LMU had mandated reporters, called “responsible employees,” who are accountable for reporting all details of an incident to Public Safety if that information is shared with them. A student can prevent an investigation from being started by speaking with a psychologist at Student Psychological Services, pastoral counselor, staff member at Student Health Services, or an LMU Community Resource Advisor. However, students unaware of this policy may end up being called into Public Safety to speak about the incident when they aren’t ready, which may be traumatizing for survivors.

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Luckily, students who do file a campus report will be connected to a SARA, or a a Student Affairs Resource Advisor, for any accommodations they need on campus. “The student doesn’t have to tell them anything,” said Trivedi. “The feedback from students is that was the best thing for them, was having the person that didn’t need to know any details; saying, ‘I’m just here for resources, I’m just here for you.’” The SARA can facilitate accommodations in academics, housing, and transportation, even months after the incident, because the SARA stays with them for their entire academic career.

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“Our faculty is so understanding, and they’re in tune with what’s happening, and they don’t need the details,” said Trivedi. “We try to work whatever is easiest to provide support for the complainant and to disrupt the educational experience as little as possible. This is where we go back to what Title IX is - to make sure there’s not impediments to someone having access to education.”

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Even with all the existing support on campus, many students first turn to someone they trust. Katherine had a friend who was assaulted on campus at LMU. “I got the call, and she’s hysteric,” she said. “It was like a flashback of what happened to me. I started getting emotional. She came to my room and she just had bruises all here. I felt like I couldn’t handle it for a second, so I went to my room and literally had like a breakdown. Because I [thought], I don’t know if I can be strong enough for her. She needs that right now.”

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This event was retraumatizing for Katherine, but because of her own sexual assault, she had the empathy and experience to know how to help her friend. Unfortunately, not every student has this level of understanding. In a letter by parents of a survivor sexual assault that occurred off-campus at an Sigma Alpha Epsilon party, the survivor’s parents said that “no one seemed to want to help. No one dialed 911. They didn’t do anything.”

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Bystander intervention is already difficult because responsibility is diffused among the the number of people present, but hesitance to intervene can have other causes. According to a study in the American Journal of College Health, “Rape Myth Beliefs and Bystander Attitudes Among Incoming College students,” incoming students who held a greater degree of rape myths were less likely to report that they would intervene as a bystander. These rape myths are internalized over time and need to be deconstructed through education.

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Maturi introduced bystander intervention as a new component to LMU Cares, which is an essential skill, especially for off campus parties. She has had students come up to her and thank her for her presentations, and one specifically who felt that the bystander intervention component would help empower others to intervene. In addition, many student organizations do make the effort to protect others. “Some of these frats on campus are actually really knowledgable, taking precautions for who may be at their parties, who are at their events,” said McManamon, who earlier expressed concern about getting students involved in these conversations.

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Students have the responsibility to be aware of what’s going on around them, not just to prevent sexual assault, but to recognize indications that someone may be struggling. According to RAINN, the warning signs of that a college-age adult may have experienced sexual violence are signs of depression, self-harm, low self-esteem, STIs, anxiety, avoidance, failing grades, and increase in substance use.

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“I think it’s important for loved ones to take notice if someone is off,” Katherine said. “I was terrified, petrified of opening up about it, I was scared to even talk about it, but I feel like if someone were to have come up to me about it and say, ‘Hey, are you okay? Do you want to talk?’ I think I would have for sure opened up to them.”

 

As a survivor herself, Katherine felt more prepared to know what to do when she was approached by her friend. She became the support system that she deserved to have after her own assault. “The important and essential period of a girl who got raped is when it happens, right after,” Katherine said. “So [during] that period, she needs unconditional love and support, whether that be from a parent or from a friend.”

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“I did some research and I’m like listen,” she said purposefully. “Do not take a shower, we’re going to take you to the hospital so you can get photographed, so you have a case. Because I want make sure that you’re able to put this guy in jail for doing that to you. And that’s what we did.”