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The Rice Thresher
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To the editor: Two weeks ago, the already touchy subject of the sexual climate at Rice was brought back into the spotlight. The e-mail message containing an unsubstantiated rumor about a rape that was circulated around campus is only the latest in a series of events during the past year that indicate we all should not only be more attuned to the issues of sexual harassment and assault, but also do a better job of raising awareness about how to deal appropriately with such problems. What should your response be if you hear that a friend has been sexually assaulted? The most important thing to do is to offer support to the victim in ways with which he or she is comfortable. Rather than choosing to ignore the situation or potentially starting a rumor, you should go directly to your friend and talk discreetly about the situation. As difficult as it is to stand by and allow a terrible crime to go unpunished, it is important to remember that one of the most devastating aspects of sexual assault is the victim's total loss of control. It is crucial for a survivor of rape to retain the power to decide who to tell and what action, if any, to take. This means that even if he or she decides to say or do nothing, you have to respect that choice. If you take it upon yourself to spread information about the assault either to campus authorities or to your friends, you further rob the victim of control. In short, you can and should help your friend by being emotionally supportive and providing information about possible options, but ultimately the decision-making power belongs to the survivor alone. We like to believe that, within the hedges of our campus, we are safe from rape. When our sense of security is shaken by the news of a sexual assault, it is natural to want to warn others of the danger as quickly as possible. We must recognize, however, that the enormity of the crime will be trivialized if it becomes the subject of college rumors. Rumors lead to discussions full of speculation and devoid of empathy, and people inevitably begin to take sides and make judgments that can be harmful to the survivor. Such negative publicity may silence not only the victim of that particular assault but also others who have endured the traumatic experience of rape. In the event that a rumor is false, there are different but equally problematic consequences. Sexual assault is one of the most horrible crimes imaginable, and to be falsely accused of it can cause irrevocable damage. Additionally, false rumors reinforce the already prevalent and destructive myth that people "cry rape" either to protect their own reputations or to take revenge on someone else. Does this mean we can't do anything? One of the worst possible outcomes of this e-mail rumor would be for sexual assault victims to feel as if they can't talk about their experiences, for fear of rumors and other consequences that might compound their sense of victimization. It is important for a survivor to be able to tell someone about what has happened, and it is just as important that we provide empathetic, respectful support to any friend who has to deal with the devastation of being raped. Two phone numbers for help on campus are the Rice Counseling Center's 24 hour hot-line (extension 4867) and the Rice Police and EMS (extension 6000). Students can also pick up a copy of the pamphlet "What Every Student Needs to Know about Sexual Assault," from the Office of Health Education. Being informed not only makes us more compassionate towards rape survivors but also enables us to prevent further crimes. One of the best things you can do to help solve the problem of sexual assault is to just talk about it with others. Instead of waiting until after a particular incident to broach the subject, we should keep this issue out in the open at all times. Lifting the taboo on discussing rape will help create an environment where survivors can seek and find help and where we as a community can work to protect the dignity and safety of every individual.
Students Organized Against Rape
Camacho's actions require explanation To the editor: Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho's comments in your Feb. 23 story, "Student apologizes for rape accusation," have befuddled me. I challenge Camacho to defend his statement that Katie Cox's actions fall outside Rice's sexual harassment policy. This policy is not limited to unwanted sexual solicitations. It also covers "unwanted verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature" by "a person of either sex" that has the "effect of substantially interfering with an individual's welfare . or creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive or demeaning education or work environment." Relying on this language, the administration has prosecuted other students for publishing sexually disparaging remarks in the Trasher and in the Sid Richardson College minutes. But while the administration will not hesitate to pursue those who demean women with the negative stereotype of female promiscuity, it has now decided that those who slander men with the negative stereotype of male sexual aggression do not commit sexual harassment. Imagine if a student sent an e-mail to 50 classmates saying that "Jane Doe is a promiscuous woman who has a sexually transmitted disease. Stay away!" Even if the e-mail was true, Rice would spare no expense in bringing its author to justice if a complaint were filed. But an e-mail falsely implying that a male student is a sexual predator - thereby impugning his sexual reputation - would not be actionable under the sexual harassment policy. The policy does not distinguish between the sexes, nor does it make value judgments about the comparative destructiveness of different sexual stereotypes. It requires only that the attack be "of a sexual nature." Accordingly, Camacho is resting on a distinction that exists nowhere in the Code of Student Conduct. It is one thing if the victim declines to prosecute the harasser, but Camacho's categorical and conclusory declaration that Cox's e-mail is not sexual harassment demands an explanation.
Peter A. Stokes Sid '97
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