As of March 30, 2021, more than 10,000 young people in Britain have contributed stories to a blog called “Everyone’s Invited” to share their experiences of inappropriate sexist comments and even instances of sexual assault. The host of the blog, Soma Sara, created the public forum in an effort to begin a conversation about the pervasive rape culture that she saw in her own social circles at a prestigious London boarding school. Scrolling through the myriad of stories and experiences of young adults that have been sexually assaulted or treated inappropriately due to their sex begs the question: Where did our societies go wrong?
In response to this question, Sara claimed
that there is a type of behavior being normalized in our societies, “like
groping at a Christmas party, or non-consensual sharing of intimate photos.”
The normalization of this kind of behavior opens a gateway for more serious and
even criminal acts such as sexual assault and rape. Indeed, those types of
stories have made their way onto “Everyone’s Invited,” and London’s
Metropolitan Police, deeply concerned by what they learned was happening, have
encouraged victims to report the potential crimes.
A senior police officer in London’s Metropolitan Police
Force put a name to the movement that is occurring in Britain. A #MeToo
movement has begun sweeping through schools, reminiscent of the 2017 movement
which gained great momentum after victims broke the silence of incidents where
powerful politicians, celebrities, and corporate executives were accused of
committing acts of sexual harassment, assault, and rape.
A day prior to the publication of the article about Sara’s
public forum, a score of Springville High students in Springville, UT staged a
walkout to bring attention to the allegations
against a teacher. Several students have complained that the teacher has made
inappropriate comments and has had inappropriate contact with students. The
problem is rampant; “It’s everywhere,” claimed
the senior officer investigating the allegations in London.
Sexual Misconduct and Gender
A common trend seen in allegations of sexual assault across colleges and universities is that sexual misconduct is most often committed by males against females. In the United States, 90 percent of sexual violence against women is perpetrated by men. A survey of 33 of the largest universities in the US estimated that 1 in 4 undergraduate women have experienced sexual assault while they were students. This is not to say that sexual harassment, assault, and abuse has not occurred in boy-on-boy, girl-on-girl, and girl-on-boy situations, but the gender inequality in reported incidents represents a severe societal malady. Why are females often the target of such misconduct?
There is damning evidence that a culture of misogyny is to
blame for the gender inequality in incidents of sexual misconduct. With most
perpetrators of sexual misconduct being men and most victims being women, one
must examine the effects that masculinity has on the allegations of sexual
misconduct. Indeed, cries of “toxic
masculinity” in our culture have encouraged classrooms and workplaces all
over the United Stated to reevaluate what it means to be masculine. While
values of strength and dominance are not toxic in and of themselves, they can
become toxic when applied to a context where a man feels that it is normal to
exercise that kind of strength and dominance over a woman.
The idea of masculinity, or the ideals of being a man,
have taught men to see themselves as part of a group with a specific kind of
culture. While there are many men who do not ever engage in sexual misconduct
towards a female or anyone else, there are many others who commit heinous acts
like sexual assault and rape because it is an aspect of the typical male
expectation to be controlling and, often, violent. There exists a stigma in our
societies and cultures that acting with care and gentleness toward women is
seen as weakness in a male. Social pressure for men to conform to the ideals of
masculinity like strength and dominance has consequently led to the expression
of violence and aggression toward females who are often construed as the
secondary sex.
Correcting Sexual Misconduct
The first step to correcting the sexual conduct rampant in
our societies is by speaking out. The 2017 #MeToo movement and the exploding “Everyone’s
Invited” blog have created a space where victims of sexual misconduct can share
experiences and offer support. The existence of these spaces and the increasing
movements are serving to eliminate hermeneutical
injustice, or the lack of interpretation that socially powerless groups are
faced with. In this case, the hermeneutically marginalized are female victims
of sexual assault, and through these platforms, they are finding ways to
understand and explain their own experiences with sexual assault by being able
to share that same experience with others. The value in women being able to
share the concept of sexual assault with other women can help to empower, educate,
and comfort others who have undergone these traumatic experiences. By defining
sexual assault and realizing that it is a much more common incident among young
people today, we can—as a society—identify sexual misconduct when it occurs and
seek to stop it from happening. This will ultimately come by supporting victims
and trying to change the culture of masculinity that has normalized sexual
misconduct and inappropriate behavior.
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