In college, I briefly volunteered at a center dedicated to helping survivors of sexual assault. I thought I could be a calming presence, but it turned out that my emotional reaction—anger, tears, you name it—wasn’t conducive to providing the support needed for someone who had just gone through such a traumatic experience.
Our training was intense, covering chilling statistics: 1 in 6 women in the U.S. will face attempted or completed rape, someone is assaulted every 98 seconds, and shockingly, only 6 out of 1,000 sexual offenders are ever imprisoned. This is the reality for many victims, especially when you consider that countless others never report their assaults.
After training, I went on calls with seasoned advocates to support survivors at hospitals. The process is daunting and complex, and with so few convictions, many college campuses have programs to help students navigate these challenges. Yet, tragically, only 6 out of every 1,000 attackers face real consequences. It’s infuriating.
Recently, a letter from a rape survivor published in The New York Times responded to an op-ed suggesting that Betsy DeVos’s proposed changes to the Obama administration’s policies on campus sexual assault were beneficial. Spoiler alert: They’re not.
While the Obama-era guidelines faced criticism for potentially infringing on the rights of the accused, the changes DeVos is pushing have sparked outrage among advocates and survivors alike, as they seem to roll back protections and ignore the reality of campus sexual assault. Just last week, DeVos and her team at the Department of Education officially rescinded the previous guidelines, making it even harder for victims to seek justice. Why are we taking steps backward?
Sofia Martinez, a director for a campus advocacy group, captured the sentiment perfectly when she stated that DeVos and her team appear more interested in protecting perpetrators than in supporting survivors. Are we really prioritizing the rights of those who commit these heinous acts over the needs of their victims?
The letter from the survivor vividly detailed her experience:
“In college, I once drank too much at a party, and someone offered to walk me home. I don’t remember what happened next, but when I woke up, my clothes were on inside out. I started screaming. I didn’t know what had happened, but a part of me felt irreparably broken and violated.”
With only a 6 in 1,000 chance that her assailant would be held accountable, her story reflects the broader issue of how victims are treated within our justice system. Many victims, like her, often lack awareness that an incapacitated person cannot provide consent.
She also pointed out an alarming trend: “It seems both conservatives and mainstream liberals have abandoned the issue of sexual assault to the far left. It’s a shocking moral oversight, and it breaks my heart.”
Our leaders must take the issue of sexual violence seriously—it’s astonishing that we even need to say this. With DeVos dismantling the policies meant to protect survivors, they will have to fight even harder for any semblance of justice. Rapists are criminals who steal lives and should face real repercussions for their actions.
In a powerful moment, she shared how she felt like a “bad victim” because she had been drinking, and how many conservative men in her life only listened to her after she shared her personal story. This is a wake-up call. If we don’t rally against DeVos’s rollback, we risk perpetuating a culture where victims suffer in silence while perpetrators evade justice.
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In summary, we need to stand up for survivors and ensure that our leaders prioritize their needs over those of the accused. There’s no such thing as a “bad victim”—there are only victims and criminals, and it’s high time our legislation reflects that.