The Activista

“On the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010, GWPD received a report of a forcible fondling that occurred in Gelman Library on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010, at approximately 11:30pm. The victim reported that she was assisting the suspect when he unexpectedly put his hands down her pants and up her shirt. The victim pulled away and fled the area and the suspect left the library.

SUBJECT DESCRIPTION: Black male, 6′ 3″- 6′ 7″, 265 lbs., 35 to 45 years old, wearing a white sweater.”

“Today, journalists, citizens, and public advocates have no access to reliable data on incidents of street harassment and assault. By providing a platform for citizens to “hollaback” against street harassers, Hollaback!’s bottom-up, crowd-sourced reporting strategy creates a pipeline of data that can be used by advocates, media, and policymakers. This information will be available online at HollabackNYC.com and analyzed in an annual “State of our Streets” report. Hollaback! will leverage the success of HollabackNYC’s citizen journalists, who have been featured in over forty media outlets. The new Hollaback! will deliver otherwise un-reported news to the New York City community.”

The Valdosta University Police Department have taken a step toward “helping” the women on their campus by providing them with tips on how to be the perfect victim.

The website, headed with “Sexual Assault Prevention,” tells women that the three things that end sexual assault are all- surprise- within their own control! (Body language, being ‘aware of your surroundings,’ and walking in neighborhoods alone.)

After instructing ‘ladies’ to take self-defense comes the worse part. At my school, survivors of sexual violence are told very specifically that it is NOT THEIR FAULT. This is important at college especially, in a world and a context where date- and acquaintance-rape are rampant and underreported and misunderstood. But Valdosta has decided to end their sheet of “tips” with only one word of advice:

“Remember, awareness and the realization that it can happen to you are your best defenses.”

A note to the administrators at Valdosta: remember, awareness and the realization that it shouldn’t happen to you is the best source of eradication. Rape is never your fault, and no survivor of sexual violence should be held responsible for the acts committed against their bodies, against their wills, and against their safety. Women are not gatekeepers, victims cannot be “perfect,” and no rape whistle is going to stop any single person from committing a violent crime.