9781422276099

Preventing Sexual Assault and Harassment

Introduction

Sexual assault. Harassment. Abuse. These are big social problems—so big, in fact, that the idea of preventing them might seem too overwhelming to contemplate. How can we possibly stop such things from happening? This book strives to find some answers. It’s important to be careful with our language when we talk about “preventing” sexual misconduct. Discussions about how to prevent assault, for example, should not be confused with blaming people who’ve experienced it. Consider the public discourse about the connection between alcohol and sexual assault. Too often, what begins as a (presumably) well-intentioned conversation about how to reduce the rates of assault on college campuses devolves into moralistic posturing about how young women really shouldn’t drink so much. It’s absolutely true that choosing not to drink at a party is a good risk-reduction strategy—not just for young women, by the way, but for anyone. However, saying that is not the same as saying that a young woman who does opt to drink at a party has somehow invited her own attack. Here’s the truth: we can do everything right, obey every rule, and follow every “risk-management strategy,” but it won’t change the fact that the modern world is, by definition, a risky business. There is no completely risk- free existence. Still, knowledge is power. In 2014 a group of researchers released their

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