Allowing Rape Impacts Campus and World
Over the progression of the existence of this blog, I have noticed the increasingly political nature of the material (or at least it has felt more political to me over time). I accredited it to the reason for starting this blog - critiquing the lack of a proper sexual violence policy at Tufts and the resistance to create one - but when finishing Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman, MD this week the Afterword possessed some very good points that I wanted to share on this site.
Herman shares the resistance she has noticed in the field when professionals have tried to advocate that the trauma from violence (especially rape) is legitimate and serious, many have been quick to dismiss or doubt the facts. She states “…the study of psychological trauma is an inherently political enterprise because it calls attention to the experience of oppressed people,” which makes a lot of sense to me. I already have lightly touched upon the issue of intersectionality of oppressions in how being a woman of colour influenced Tufts to not to believe or care that I reported I was raped, but I do not think it cannot be emphasized enough how oppression and sexual violence are never mutually exclusive.
People (especially those in power) oft feel uncomfortable to talk about issues of privilege and oppression, so I guess I can see why many admin at Tufts may be reluctant to talk rape and why they have been dismal at addressing it correctly. No one wants to admit that they are actively participating in the oppression of others and that their decisions not only are ruining the lives of individuals, but hurting society as a whole (well if you believe we all deserve equality).
Since I first learned about the existence of Amnesty International and the concept of human rights I knew it was a cause to which I wanted to dedicate my life. It is shocking that there are so many facets of injustice that all play into the concept of human rights. Herman suggests a way to help overcome the stigma against survivors of traumatic events. She says “…only an ongoing connection with a global political movement for human rights could ultimately sustain our ability to speak about unspeakable things.”
We are constantly told that rape and domestic violence is a “private” thing and shouldn’t be shared with the world (for example, the TUPD for some reason didn’t want to notify the campus when a sexual assault has been committed on campus even though it’s mandated by the Clery Act), but that’s how we allow rape to happen at alarming rates around the world.
Rape is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights. Tufts has claimed to be an institution that has an increased concern and awareness for making the world a better place for everyone. The university has a Human Rights Center and a college for increasing the standards of civic engagement (which they define as “building stronger, healthier, and safer communities”). So where is this commitment on its own campus? Is it yet another example of a school caring more about reputation and appearances, rather than what actually happens - as long as it remains largely under wraps?
If Tufts agrees that being raped is a violation of a human right (I don’t see why they wouldn’t), then I think there needs to be actions that show that they believe that their students deserves rights, too. Fighting for the rights of sexual violence survivors isn’t just a feminist issue; it’s a human rights issue.
Originally published at Tufts University Survivors of Sexual Violence. You can comment here or there.