Women Safety on Campus: Situation Far From Ideal
Written on November 9th, 2019 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}The recent cases of sexual harassment during ATMOS involving individuals from outside campus stalking a female from BPHC, has been discussed a lot on social media groups of the campus and in the recent General Body Meet. While this incident will hopefully ensure that any external students who engage in these sort of activities will be blacklisted from future fests, these sort of events are in no way unique to fests alone.
We've previously written articles explaining the process and procedure involved to report this heinous act. What we've tried to do with this article, is to provide an insight into what goes on in both the victim and the culprit's mind. We've done this by analysing a case involving an Associate Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault for an incident dating back to his days in college and how we can learn from this case to combat this problem holistically. We also talk about what you, as an individual, can and should do.
- Revisiting An Infamous Episode: Brett Kavanaugh, now an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, faced serious allegations of sexual harassment during a party dating back to his college days, an incident that allegedly happened when he was inebriated.
- Some Reflections and Realisations:
- Bollywood and the Bro Culture: Appropriating the culture and mannerisms of our on-screen heroes might seem cool and in fashion, however we must consciously acknowledge toxic masculinity and misogynistic views which comes along with seemingly appealing narratives.
- Not in Control - Not a Defense: Alcohol and other substances might impair our ability to make sound judgements but that definitely does not come under an excuse to mistreat the people around us and not take responsibility of our actions.
- What Next: What you as an onlooker or a victim can do and structural changes required.
Revisiting an Infamous Episode
Now an Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh's path to the prestigious position was littered with dirty laundry from his frat days of college, and at 54, he - known for his impeccable and highly personable behaviour, strong family values, catholic lifestyle, and clean record – was being interrogated and maligned for a heinous act that he (allegedly) committed during his late teens.
A few months after the announcement of his prospective ascent to the Supreme Court, one of the US Senators received a scathing letter from a woman who had some serious concerns regarding the nominee. As we were to find out, the letter was sent by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University. She had alleged that the man in question had sexually assaulted her with his friend when the three were in high-school.
Dr. Christine recounts that she was a part of a community of suburban Washington children, whose greatest concern in adolescent summers was looking for friends whose parents were out for the night, so they could party. During one such party, she ended up going to the house where Brett and his friend, Mark Judge were also present. Both were visibly drunk, and she herself had had a beer. Sometime later, Christine proceeded up a narrow flight of stairs to use the washroom, and it was then that she was pushed by someone into the bedroom of the house, and the door was locked. She was forced onto the bed, and Brett climbed over her. Christine was shouting for help, but her voice was overshadowed by the loud music. While she was trying to scream, Brett put his hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence her.
It was this act – Brett's forceful manner of shutting her up – that had scarred her for life. The reason was simple – she thought that Brett would asphyxiate her. While she lay in fear of her life, Brett and Mark were laughing loudly, clearly very intoxicated.
While the details were gruesome, the impact was even more glaring. For a long time, Christine confesses that she was unable to open up about the incident to anyone. A part of her felt ashamed, and the other part was scared of her parent's reaction to finding out that she (at that time, she was 15) was drinking beers with boys. Over the years, the memory and damages from the assault lingered on. She points out that at the time of remodelling her house with her husband, she had insisted that she need 2 front doors instead of one because she was scared that she might be locked inside in a precarious situation. The psychological impact of the attempted rape had not dampened over the years.
Her testimony was compelling and her calm composure demanded your attention. Her vulnerability was heart-breaking and the truth of her statements was jarring.
Some Reflections and Realisations
As students, we have a lot to learn from this case. Besides the obvious idea that the faults and seemingly innocent mischiefs that we commit in college might come to haunt us in the future, we need to bear in mind that pranks might snowball beyond their origin, fairly quickly. What might be harmless fun for one, might mean a matter of life for the other. Respecting the boundaries of others is necessary, and not doing so might lead to undesirable consequences in the long run.
Bollywood and the “Bro Culture”
The recent case of sexual harassment during ATMOS involved an individual from outside campus, stalking a female from BPHC, the outcome of which fortunately did not lead to any dire consequences for the female. The individual's actions were reported after ATMOS ended which meant that they were allowed to leave campus without any action being taken at present. To think of this from the perpetrator's perspective, it's safe to assume that they probably weren't aware of the gravity of what they were doing. In our culture, this sort of behaviour is almost celebrated with Bollywood depictions of 'heroes' chasing after a woman in a eerily similar fashion.
It makes sense then to discuss the role culture and the way one is raised plays in their perception of what is and what isn't appropriate. Kavanaugh's adolescence was permeated with the so-called, "Bro Culture", something that is still very prevalent in America. He was part of a group - bound by sports, gyms, and beer - who would stick by each other through misconduct and misogyny. In India, this culture is finding its way into college campuses. This combined with the already mentioned pop culture depiction of Indian men hints at an even more dangerous hybrid of the two being formed.
Not in Control: Not a Defense
With regards to intoxicants, one needs to err on the side of caution as a consumer. Drinking is a part of life, and throwing up after excessive alcohol consumption makes for appealing narrative. Yet, the nature of these drinks is such that they force you to relinquish control. They cloud one's judgment and impair straight thinking. As alcohol becomes a staple in adult life, we need to monitor our drinks and our actions to ensure that we do not end up violating someone's private space.
Cases of such heavy drinking aren't unheard of on our campus. The period during Batchsnaps comes to mind and coincidentally, this period of heavy drinking is marked with an upturn in the number of incidents reported. Beyond the ramifications of heavy intoxication, we must bear in mind that we are not free of the consequences of our acts, just because we are inebriated. It is essential to limit our drinking sprees to the specific controls of the body, lest we might end up in an indefensible situation.
Within the walls of our campus, whereas students, we are honed and nurtured to achieve an all-round development in terms of our academic aspirations and personality growth. As students of our college who carry the pride, reputation, and future of ourselves and our alma-mater, it does become our responsibility to ensure a safe and sensitive environment for the people around us. With movements like #MeTooMovement rattling every single part of the world, our campus also needs to reflect on its stance and general opinion towards sexual harassment. A lot of cases often tend to breed only in the mind of the person who has been assaulted without any action being taken to punish the offender. While our campus might have installed the required systems to deal with such cases in the form of professional counsellors and ICC (Internal Complaints Committee), the societal outlook also affects the mindsets of the victims. Encouraging students to speak up against harassment and assault and ensuring a safe platform for them helps them and also other students who might have been subdued due to the fear of judgement and lack of cooperation from the system. In our campus, where the students have never been short of voicing their opinions against any disservice that they face, there can certainly be room for openly discussing, supporting and helping our peers overcome their fear of judgement and speak against any form of crime that they have witnessed.
These observations are no excuses to get Kavanaugh off the hook. As teenagers and adults, we have a responsibility to realize our limits and exercise an adequate control over our sensibilities.
What Next?
The General Body Meeting on the 7th of November saw questions raised on what preventive measures were being taken to prevent incidents like this from happening in future fests on campus. While several measures such as asking all outsiders to sign an undertaking, potentially hiring more external security forces or bouncers, an SOS portal/app, and blacklisting violators were discussed, the central issue that does remain is the reluctance of victims to speak up.
While the world around you might not always seem like a safe space, it is important to remember that people are out there to defend and support you. It is important to speak up, both as a victim and an onlooker, to curb this crime which has existed in the world since the beginning of time. It is essential to remember, especially during fests or any college events, that most of the people around you will be your peers and acquaintances, which should help you overcome your hesitation to fight and speak up or reach for help. Victims usually tend to centre the blame around themselves and hide the impact of assault and harassment within the closed walls of their hearts. While it does take a lot of courage to speak up, overcoming the hesitation to speak for yourself and others benefits everyone in the long run and perhaps, sets an inspiring example where crime doesn't go unpunished.
The following list includes a couple of points of contact to communicate with. We’ve also included the contact information of the ICC Student Representative and the Student Union.
Article written by Vastav Ratra and Ananya Mohapatra. Edited by Sanath Salil. Design by Venkata Tharun Gangula.