Nearly one quarter of women in the United States are victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse. By the time you have finished reading this article, another person in America will have been victimized by sexual assault.
Take Back the Night is an international rally and march meant to unite men, women, children and families to promote awareness of domestic and sexual violence in society.
Last week, USM’s Women’s Resource Center organized a number of events for Take Back the Night. The events included films on domestic violence, rape and self-defense. They also led a rally and march on Friday, followed by a forum where victims of domestic violence or sexual assault described their experiences with others to try and raise the awareness of domestic violence in the community. Throughout the week, the Women’s Resource Center provided students in Portland with poster board and materials to create signs for the rally and march.
When someone thinks of domestic violence, it is almost a default reaction for him or her to associate it with husband-on-wife battery. This is not the case. One out of every eight sexual assaults in the Unites States occurs to men.
“We have done this for a while and now we are getting more and more males coming to us saying, ‘hey, we’re victims too,’ and that is something that we are trying to focus on more and more,” said Jennifer Burnham, a Take Back the Night organizer.
Maine has seen instances of sexual assault rise over the past five years. In fact, it is the only violent crime category to rise every year since 1999. The Maine Department of Public Safety reported in 2002 that some sort of gross sexual assault was reported to occur approximently every 22 hours. A total of 12,353 reports related to sexual assault were taken by Maine’s 10 sexual assault crisis and support centers in 2002 alone.
These statistics include only those who report a rape or assault to a law enforcement official.
In terms of campus crimes, one in four American women are raped during their college years. Ninety-four percent of victims to sexual assault knew his or her assailant and less than five percent of rapes were reported to police.
Nearly 12 million, or one quarter of women in the U.S., at some point in their lives will be victims of domestic violence. It is the single most common source of injury to women. It is more common than auto accidents, muggings and rapes combined. By age 20, one in three young women will have experienced some sort of domestic dating violence.
Take Back the Night’s purpose is not to scare people off the streets.
“It is a great thing to put on, because it can make people feel more comfortable,” said Sarah Greenan, a junior communication major. “I just hope it doesn’t instill enough fear in people that they are overly cautious. Just be aware.”
For those in need of help, Burham says Family Crisis Services is open to all. “They are a really great organization with a number of services to help those in crisis,” continued Burnham. “They will provide shelter for you and your family while also connecting you with the right people for support.”
Take Back the Night started in 1973 in Germany in response to a series of sexual assaults, rapes and murders on women. The United States first held rallies in 1978. Today rallies are held throughout the world, preaching the same message: standing against domestic and sexual violence to make the world a safer place for all.
Joe Bilancieri can be contacted at [email protected]