Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted, and a staggering 97 percent of rapists never spend a day in jail.
That means about 38 people are sexually assaulted while you are sitting in one hour and 15-minute class, and only one person would be imprisoned for the act.
Theses statistics were shown at the beginning of the April 18 event, “Finding You at the U.”
This is the fifth year that Union has hosted the event targeted toward educating the women of campus on various topics, with past themes such as “The Long Walk to the Well” and “The Heart of Sexuality.”
The theme this year was, “Breaking the Silence, Finding Your Voice,” led by author and speaker Nicole Bromley. The event focused on sexual assault and encouraged those who have been victims to speak out.
Bromley shared her story of being a victim of sexual abuse as a child. She shared how she uses the negative events in her life to help other women who may feel as though they need to stay silent about their own abuse situations, stating, “no one deserves this, no one asks for rape.”
Another statistic presented was that one in five women are victims of rape at some point in their lives.
Standing against such a large epidemic may seem like a daunting task. Bromley described it as feeling like a mosquito in a nudist colony – there is so much that can be done, but you don’t know where to get started.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 states, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Hiddenhurt.co.uk posted tips on how to help someone you know who has dealt with domestic abuse. By far, the biggest tip is the one that affirms the verse in 2 Corinthians: be a trusted support system for whoever has faced the abuse. It is important to listen to and validate their feelings, and to just be a friend.
Jeremiah 29:11 states: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
There is a light at the end of the tunnel in any situation we may encounter; we just need each other’s help to get there sometimes.
I highly suggest any and all female students who are affected by any type of abuse to attend the follow-up support group in April and May to stand together against abuse of any kind and stand with the victims.
For more information on the group, contact Tamarin Huelin one week prior to the first meeting April 17.
Rebecca Morris is a junior public relations major and the managing editor of the Cardinal & Cream.
