Breaking the Silence: Challenging the Preconceptions About Sexual Perpetrators at URI

Description

Sexual violence is a very taboo topic, especially when it involves university students and minors. Most people do not know how to approach this sensitive topic because it can be very uncomfortable or difficult to talk about openly. Society’s reluctance to speak on a very real and prevalent social issue contributes to the pervasive lack of understanding and awareness around this subject. Furthermore, glossing over this topic promotes silence and the spread of harmful misconceptions. Additionally, the media plays a huge role in popularizing common misconceptions about sexual violence. As we know, the media is very influential to everyone, but more so to younger generations. University students, for one, consistently make use of these informative and entertaining communication outlets. It goes without being said that much, if not most, of their time is taken up by the internet and social media, and students accept much of what they read at face value. False information can quickly spread to people worldwide, and this is not something that can be prevented. Instead, we must learn to question what we see and do our research, so as not to conform to common ideologies. In today’s episode, we will be addressing the common misconception about sexual violence that is held by many students at the University of Rhode Island. Due to societal constructs and the media’s unwavering influence on younger generations, many college students believe that the sole perpetrators of sexual violence are aggressive strangers. In truth, the perpetrators in most cases of sexual assault are people that their victims typically know and/or trust, such as friends, acquaintances, or family members. This popular myth about perpetrators stems from the “stranger danger” concept that is ingrained in culture and education systems, as a means of raising awareness and protection for children and young adults. This belief system is grounded in the notion that strangers represent potential safety threats, particularly when an individual is alone or in an unfamiliar setting. Therefore, it encourages people to be extra cautious around people they do not know. The media takes it a step further, and it promotes this misleading narrative by frequently portraying cases of sexual violence by strangers, with much less coverage of inner-circle assaults. This restricted representation creates false expectations about sexual violence perpetrators for younger, media-driven audiences, increasing their vulnerability to personal assaults. In this episode, we speak with four students at the University of Rhode Island, including a victim of sexual violence. Through these interviews, we uncover the extent to which this sexual violence misconception has infiltrated one university’s student body.


Links to Active Petitions, Fundraisers, +/OR URI Support Services:



URI Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services: https://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/violence-prevention-and-advocacy-services/
RAINN: https://www.rainn.org/
Donate: https://give.rainn.org/a/donate?_ga=2.119882060.590036554.1701110329-59255413.1699894557
Start By Believing: https://startbybelieving.org/home/
Pledge: https://startbybelieving.org/pledge/
Donate: https://evawintl.org/donate-now/
Change.org - Sexual Assault Petitions: https://www.change.org/t/sexual-assault-2

Participants

• Emmy Delaney
  
• Téa Conti
  
• Jules Taccogna
  

Interview By

• Emmy Delaney