Yesterday I discussed sexism and misogyny and the fact that we live in a culture of silence. Today I would like to elaborate on that, especially concerning sexual assault.
What is sexual assault? The USDOJ (http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/sexassault.htm) defines sexual assault as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” This includes forced sexual intercourse, sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.
The rate of rape in Alaska is 2.5 times the national average and child sexual assault is almost 6 times the national average (http://www.ncadv.org/files/Alaska.pdf). The majority of the victims are Alaska Native women - statistically, 1 out of 3 Alaska Native and American Indian women will be raped in their lifetime. Remember, these are numbers of reported rapes - who knows how many rapes go unreported.
There are limited services available for victims of sexual assault, especially when it comes to remote villages. Some propose that the State should provide more services to victims and that there be harsher punishment of convicted offenders, both of which are very reasonable solutions. However, given that there is limited funding and services, we cannot rely solely on the State to deal with these issues. Also, providing services for victims after the assault occurs is reactive and with these staggering rates, it behooves the communities to take a proactive stance in dealing with sexual assault. But how?
Well, in part, I think this means ending this culture of silence.
In my community there is a known sexual deviant who has a history of harassing and molesting women, especially women in vulnerable situations. This man has been a patient at the hospital and it falls upon the nurses to watch him because he has entered other patient rooms and verbally harassed female patients. He has harassed other elderly women in the community, who choose to remain silent about these encounters. This man is an active member of a local church and everyone knows that he is a sexual deviant, but no one says anything. One of the nurses asked me, “Why doesn’t anyone say or do anything?” “We live in a culture of silence,” I replied. I didn’t know how else to respond.
Also in my community there are convicted child molesters who freely roam about who are non-compliant with sex offender registry policies. In some cases, some are left alone with children, placing the children in vulnerable and potentially harmful situations in which molestation is a real possibility. Family members are reluctant to have their children interact with these offenders yet they remain silent. They don’t voice their discomfort but instead discuss it behind closed doors.
Regarding sexual assault, some victims are shamed into silence, often by their own community and family members. In some instances they are blamed and some are even threatened to remain silent. I can think of one case in particular in which a young woman, a victim of rape, pressed charges on her assailant, much to the dismay of at least one elderly family member.
I honestly don’t understand these types of responses. Is it in our nature to protect the man? Are we so inclined to avoid conflict that we choose not to speak out, for fear of “rocking the boat”? What is so difficult about speaking the truth? By remaining silent we are allowing these crimes to occur and re-occur. The cycle continues and our communities continue to suffer. When is enough enough?
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