Do I Look Like A Sex Doll? Part 2

By: Destini Merrill

Sexual Assault- illegal sexual contact that involves force upon a person without consent or a person who is incapable of giving consent.

With the kick ass #MeToo movement being a positive phenomenon on the world now, there's more and more attention being brought to light about sexual assault and harassment, from Hollywood to the humble "Not Hollywood" areas of the world, people are cracking down on the accused/ attackers and giving the victims the attention and the support that they need. With the estimated number by RAINN; the Rape, Abuse, and, Incest National Network being 310 out of 1,000 (2 out of 3) cases go unreported. The #Me Too movement has helped those who haven't had counsel out of fear of being scrutinized or not believed, the courage to stand up for themselves, others, and the cause that sexual crimes should be taken more seriously.  

However, despite the kick-off of the #MeToo movement, victims still seem to be an afterthought. Last year, Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, has established a change for Title 9; a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination of a person's sex in education programs and activities. With this law, students who are victims/ survivors of sexual harassment, discrimination, or assault have protection against their attackers and offenders and gain proper justice for what was done to them. But with DeVos's twist on the title, she's allowing colleges to require stronger evidence from the victims of assault and allow the accused to have more benefit of the doubt. This is a huge setback in the rights for victims with students being among them since according to RAINN, only 20% of female students report attacks and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault yet these reports go drastically unreported. With this new Title 9, victims will face even more hesitance and discouragement to speak up for protection and their rights, while the perpetrators practically face minor to no consequences. In the meantime, we have a president that has solidified his status as a sex offender with many of the vulgar statements he's made about (sarcastically clears throat) certain actions that women will "let" him do just because he's rich. The simple fact that he was still allowed into office after the obvious disgust that his words brought, also speaks volumes about how assault is handled. If the leader or leaders of our schools, let alone, country are allowed to stay in power or don't reap any consequences for their actions regardless of the negative attention they receive, why should criminals of the sex crimes be apprehended and dealt with. And how can people male or female ever feel safe?

Story Time: Once upon a time there was a girl named Destini, and one day, she was aggressively groped and grabbed by a friend that she trusted, respected, and had known for years. It was scary, unsettling, and violating. And for quite some time, Destini thought that the ordeal was her fault; perhaps it was the way she dressed that day, maybe she shouldn't have gone over to his place to sit, eat snacks, and watch funny videos on YouTube like they always did, or maybe she should've stopped being friends with this person because she knew he had feelings for her. But after getting some support and advice from her friends and mother, she was reassured that she was absolutely not to blame.

Tip of the week: If you as a reader have gone through sexual assault or know someone who has gone through it or possibly going through it now, please know that it is nothing to be ashamed of and it is NOT your fault. If you need help or someone to talk to please reach out to loved ones or contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at online.rainn.org or 800-656-4673. You have all of our support.

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