Many students have heard the statistics on sexual violence and
seen posters in residence halls outlining ways for them to protect
themselves from it. But most students still remain distanced from
the problem and ignore it as something that only happens to
“someone else.”
Today, in celebration of Denim Day, a group of students from the
UCLA Clothesline Project and other campus organizations will speak
about their experiences, dispel some common misconceptions, and
remind students that sexual violence is not something to be
ignored.
Denim Day is an international day of protest against the 1999
Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction
because the victim was wearing form-fitting jeans. The judge ruled
that the victim must have helped remove her jeans and, in so doing,
gave consent for sex.
“We know that consent is a lot more complicated. … There
are other factors involved,” said Ann Caldwell, a student who
participated in planning the event. She added coercion,
intoxication and physical threat are factors that affect
people’s ability to give consent and prevent them from
protecting themselves against assault.
It is impossible to determine whether a woman consented to sex
by her removing her jeans, Caldwell said.
Aside from educating students about what consent entails,
Caldwell looks for the event to raise student’s awareness
about sexual assault, an issue they normally may ignore.
It can be extremely difficult for people to speak out on their
experiences and press charges ““ the vast majority of cases of
sexual assault and rape are left unreported and unprosecuted, said
Tina Oakland, director of the Center for Women and Men.
“It’s frequently difficult for people to think about
sexual assault,” she said.
Denim Day coordinators hope to explore women’s lack of
comfort in talking about sexual violence in addition to men’s
feelings of stereotypically being blamed or attacked.
The purpose of the event is to give a voice to all women and men
who have experienced sexual violence but are unable to speak for
themselves.
Many victims of sexual violence are uncomfortable reporting
sexual violence in large part due to an element of self-blame,
Oakland said.
The silence surrounding sexual violence has lead to some
wide-spread misconceptions, coordinators say, such as the belief
that women “ask for” rape based on their behavior and
that sexual violence can be committed only against women.
Education on various issues is a key in dispelling these
misconceptions and decreasing the number of cases of sexual
violence, so it is the primary focus of Denim Day, said coordinator
Sarah Williams.
The majority of sexual assault is perpetrated against women, but
“sexual violence is not a woman’s issue. … It’s
a civil rights issue,” Oakland said, adding men experience
sexual violence, as well, and the event is equally devastating.
The experience of sexual assault has lead to such things as
difficulty in eating, sleeping, concentrating and functioning in
future relationships, Oakland said.
It also can be difficult for many to attend classes and lead
their daily lives when they have come out as victims of sexual
assault, Oakland added.
Organizers hope the several events of Denim Day will raise a
greater awareness of the issue on campus and in the community in
general.
“By having a big spectacle going on, you get a lot of
people to see a lot of things they don’t normally see. … It
makes you consider why you have the beliefs you have,”
Williams said.