On Sunday I attended a dinner with Kate Harding, who was visiting Cornell to raise awareness about rape culture. Going into the dinner, I wasn’t sure exactly what the term meant. As she explained it, rape culture describes a society that protects those accused of rape more than the victims. People are more likely to ask questions like “Are you sure you were really raped?” than “How can I help you through this catastrophe?” Kate made it clear that rape is a very real, very present thing that no one likes to talk about. It hits closer to home than people want to confess: rape is a reality here at Cornell, and it’s perpetrators aren’t scary guys jumping out of the bushes – they are people we go to class with, even people who seem “nice”. Recognizing the reality of rape is important to combat the crime and support victims.

In terms of prevention, it’s important to set the stage: we live in a very open culture, which tells us that we can do whatever we please, and that we are our own authority. We are constantly bombarded by music, TV, movies, etc. that feed off of lust and the objectification of people’s (especially women’s) bodies, shaping perspectives which rob others of their intrinsic human dignity. People (especially women again) have it drilled into them that they should find their value in sex appeal, further supporting this objectification. The idea that you’re not a man unless you have had sex permeates college culture to a significant degree, and is evident in the party scene. Alcohol -which does wonders to seriously inhibit people’s decision making capacities AND decreases their sexual inhibitions – flows freely at parties. Basically, it seems that hookup/party culture, although very distinct and different than rape culture, naturally enables sexual assault. If we are serious about preventing rape, I think it’s important to combat it at every level. It’s important to educate people on the gravity and presence of rape, but I doubt that that alone will curb it. Paradigms need to be altered. Would we be willing to examine our lifestyles and mindsets in order to support victims of rape and protect people from being assaulted? What are you willing to do to help uproot rape?