Transitioning Times

This is hands-down one of the best Public Service Announcements I have seen.  It not only brings up issues of consent, but it also encourages bystander intervention. This scenario is a great example of how someone is still awake, waking around, somewhat engaging with others, but is not in a position to consent to sexual activity.  You can see her glassed-over eyes, her swaying, her vacant stare, her complacency.   There is a lot of discussion about consent intellectually , but on the street, on campus, in the bar, I don't think people know the difference between who is a person having a fun time, making informed decisions and who isn't.  How do you solve a problem like that?  ASK!  I once read an article that encouraged people to just ask others "are you ok?" if you suspect anything...domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, anything that smells fishy, just ask the person.  If they aren't ok, it gives them the opportunity to say no, a...

     When society hears of sexual violence, the assumption is typically that a man has assaulted a woman. This is happening, at rates that are far too high, but so is sexual violence against men. Imagine how hard it is for a woman to report being sexually assaulted or raped? Now, think how difficult it is for men to report the same type of sexual violence.      Texas Association Against Sexual Assault states, “In the United States, 10% of all victims are male.”   “ About  3% of American men  — or  1 in 33  — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. From 1995-2010, 9% of rape and sexual assault victims were male.   2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.”   (RAINN.org)      These men are fathers, brothers, friends, partners, sons, and grandfathers who are looked at as being masculine, aggressive, and self-confident, but men can also be sensitiv...