In general, I support any writing that advocates for women's or victims' empowerment. However, as a feminist and active promoter of sexual assault awareness and prevention, I cannot fully back Thursday's article by Natalie Colaneri '12 ("Empowering Victims," Oct. 20).
The major flaw of Colaneri's is that she puts the power in a situation of sexual assault onto the victim. This may seem counterintuitive, but that is exactly wrong. Victims of sexual assault are so named because their power has been taken away. This debasement of personal authority is why these acts of violence are so awful. Losing the right to control your own body is a terrifying reality in which many women, and yes, men too, find themselves regularly on the Dartmouth campus.
While any victim is capable of regaining this power and control over herself or himself, it is not a victim's obligation to be "empowered" against assault. It is the moral responsibility of every person in this community to make sure he or she does not commit an act of violence like sexual assault.
So rather than "empowering" potential victims, we should focus on the potential perpetrators. And to clarify, these groups are identical. We are all at risk for being victims as well as perpetrators if we do not understand the reality of assault. Education to prevent a criminal act on our own behalf will have the provident benefit of preventing our victimhood as well.
A culture of sexism and abuse does exist on this campus and it takes empowered students to resist those attitudes. Feel empowered to care for your partners and peers with respect, dignity and compassion.
This demeanor may be frowned upon in certain parts of the Dartmouth social sphere, but resisting that norm is a necessity. Such moral strength is power, and it also happens to be good humanity.
Thus we should not create a dynamic where victims are to blame for their own assaults. The agency in the crime lies in the perpetrator. We must support survivors, not question them.
Just as it is every community member's obligation to act lawfully and within the College's Standards of Conduct, it is the responsibility of the Dartmouth collective to create an environment intolerant of assault. So though we should not question victims, we must question ourselves.
Each of us contributes to the campus norms that lead to the prevalence of assaults. Many Dartmouth students have immersed themselves in a culture of abuse. Our school identity is infused with alcohol consumption and a Greek system that boasts a history filled with violence, crime and chauvinism. Drug use is rampant. Eating disorders are common.
Dartmouth students should know that these norms are not in fact normal. It is strange that we share a community so small, yet violent crimes occur on a weekly basis.
It is not normal that people drink themselves into a stupor (more than) weekly. It is not normal to feel threatened or unsafe on a campus to which you have earned admission. It is not normal to have packs of pledges swear to secrecy in order to protect their own abusers their so-called "brothers."
Question your environment, your peers and, most importantly, yourself. If you are aware of your choices and actions, then perhaps there will be no need for sexual assault prevention efforts. Everyone must take responsibility for creating a safe community. Be an active bystander, careful friend and respectful partner. Above all, do not be a perpetrator.
I do not expect these appeals to cause a campus culture revolution, but at the very least, I hope they stimulate some critical thinking.
