The document summarizes research on preventing sexual assault. It discusses how education is key to prevention and should promote concepts of consent and equality between the sexes. Legislation mandating education programs in schools, like Erin's Law, can help address the issues. However, changing societal norms requires more than just laws - it requires challenging views that blame victims or see women as unequal. Comprehensive education and advocacy organizations, like The Blue Bench, can help communities understand assault and support victims.

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Madison Martin
J. Donavan
Internship in Government
November 13, 15
Research Paper
PREVENTING SEXUAL ASSAULT
Sexual Assault: “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any
body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of
the victim.”
Consensual sex: “When a person chooses, with free will and with knowledge of the
nature of the act, to cooperate with that act through action or attitude. A current or previous
relationship is not sufficient to constitute consent” (“What Is Sexual Assault?” 1 )
Introduction
When discussing words and themes of such profound importance, it is incumbent upon
the reader to understand what they really mean. Sexual Assault and Consensual Sex are two
diametrically opposed concepts and definitions. Consent means that when one person initiates
advances of a sexual nature toward another, the second party is completely able, knowledgeable,
and of age to make the choice of whether or not to have sex. Assault means that one person
denies the advances or isn’t coherent enough to make the decision to initiate sexual activity.
People from all walks of life encounter this major societal problem; assault knows no boundaries
of age, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

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Sexual assault is not an individual’s problem. It is not just a problem for the victim or a
problem for the assailant. It is a community problem. Solving this problem starts by promoting
education about preventative measures. Rapists are not just men that are lingering down a dark
alleyway, waiting for a random victim to appear. Rapists are both men and women that are
inclined to being power-hungry, and become sexually gratified by the exhibition of power over
their victim. Research has shown that perpetrators are often victims of assault themselves.
Perpetrators come from all walks of life. They are not strangers, and they are not people just
hiding in that dark alleyway. The reality is, is that they are people we know.
Considering society’s goal is the reduction and elimination of sexual assault, what role
does prevention play in public policy surrounding sexual assault issues? In this paper, I will be
exploring this question through original research conducting through one-on-one interviews with
where my internship took place. Utilizing both academic journals and scholarly articles, I will
investigate possible answers to this question. If prevention education is properly utilized into
school curricula, sexual assault can be significantly reduced, if not eradicated.
Literature Review - Legislation
If assault stems from an individual’s desire to exhibit power, how can assault ever be
prevented? The same way we help to prevent most of society ills: education. Being taught how to
identify situations that are inappropriate is key to stopping the increasing sexual assault crisis.
Educational programming should be inclusive of age-appropriate dating violence education.
Legislation such as Erin’s Law, passed recently in many states, is one such education
prevention measure. Erin’s Law mandates K-5 schools to add preventative educational programs
to the curriculum. Currently, the costs to the community from child abuse and neglect surpass
$33 billion annually. Legislation has also been passed throughout the country to require sex

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offenders to register with neighborhood watch organizations to identify themselves once moving
into a new neighborhood (Anderson, 2014).
Despite a massive effort to set up sex offender registries, there have been few efforts to
actually educate youth about the issue. Erin’s Law was originally implemented in Illinois, and
consists of two primary components: to provide schools with evidence-based information on the
issue of assault and to also create a task force of qualified individuals to achieve the goal of
outreach into the local community.
The task force assembled then reviews pertinent information to create the mandated
curriculum, which includes preventative measures, teacher and personal training on child sexual
abuse, information for parents on the warning signs and emotional behavior of child sexual
abuse, in-school counseling for students, and finally community referrals for children and
families affected by sexual abuse (Anderson, 2014).
As with many other controversial issues, parents’ may not want their children to
experience the realities of assault at such a young age. However, one in three girls and one in
seven boys report to experiencing some form of assault while still in their youth. Keep in mind
that these numbers could be severely underreported. Children don’t necessarily know how to
recognize the signs of assault and how to report them to an authority (Briere, John, and Elliott
2003). Parents also don’t typically discuss assault with their children, so many children lack such
skills to be adequately prepared or know that such abuse is wrong. One study of 825 college
women showed that those without sexual abuse prevention education were twice as likely to
have not reported possibly experiencing assault as a child as compared to those who had received
the education. (Anderson, 2014).

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The problem does not just lie with parents not properly educating their children.
Legislation such as Erin’s benefits not just children; communities as a whole benefit from such
programming. Parents and teachers alike learn about the realities of the world, and that no one is
set apart from having it happen to them and to their children alike.
Today, Erin’s Law has been proposed for federal enactment. However, since states
handle most educational issues on a state-by-state basis, it’s seen as unlikely that there will be a
massive federal law put into place mandating sexual assault education. That being said, it is
entirely possible and we are seeing many cases of states incorporating new laws and similar
legislative mandates.
Literature Review - Feminism: Achieving Equality In Both Sexes to End Assault
The fact remains, how can society stop a major issue that has already been made illegal?
While a great starting point, it will take much more than just educating the youth on the issue. It
will also take diligence and a massive “want” to change the issue at hand. Feminism could easily
be the next controversial step forward in the process to eradicate the issue.
Feminism today has the societal definition of “man hating.” Emma Watson took to the
United Nations in 2014 to deliver her message that feminism simply does not have the context
that most believe it does. Rather, she delivered the message that feminism is about equality.
Feminism has a slightly different context to everyone, and while it’s roots are strictly pure, a
solid definition is as follows: it is strictly a belief that men and women need to come together to
solve modern issues. Watson elaborates also on the fact that modern men today are also under
severe societal norms, as women have always been. Living in middle class suburbia or living in
the projects does not mean you are exempt from the realities of the world. Feminism is arguably
a vital aspect to the foundation of stopping assault. (Watson, 2014).

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Sexual assault is an issue that needs to be addressed in all communities. Men are
constantly bombarded with sexualized images, mostly due to the media and the proven belief
that sex sells. Women are constantly under pressure of attracting the opposite sex, while at the
same time are under social pressure to not attract too much attention. Aya Gruber explains that
men are given the ultimate satisfaction and objective of having private interactions with women.
Achieving sex is the ultimate goal, and is seen as a victory, especially so if a man can procure
sex by convincing a woman who is initially reluctant.
How can we, as a community, stop an issue as important as assault if we cannot agree on
such a fundamental issue such as women are equal to men? Prime examples of this ideology lay
within recently passed and proposed legislation. Aya Gruber argues that more conservative
agencies have a tendency to espouse dominant mind-sets which then suppress dominant feminist
thinking. Typically, this view means that it is understood that women are not capable of making
their own choices. Women are not able to understand their lifestyle or their own behavior. It also
aligns with the belief that women who experience assault have failed in equipping themselves in
sex crime prevention. Not to mention, within our current court system, codes are constructed by
the ideologies of decades past. We as humans follow social norms, and within that we see plenty
examples of racism and sexism within the court system.
In addition, Gruber states that laws generally shape societal norms, and they’re only
effective when people are afraid to commit crimes in fear of police power. In response, the issue
becomes taboo to society, and is no longer seen as a problem. The conduct then is deemed
unacceptable to society. (Gruber, 608-628).
Gruber then elaborates on the previous lineage of how things becomes taboo in society by
saying that laws are only effective when the actual law doesn’t differentiate too much from the

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actual societal practice. Police power can very easily tip the scale. Gruber thereafter states that
the process needs to be a “gentle nudge, rather than a ‘shove through’ ” (Gruber, 629). Societal
norms cannot be eradicated over night. It must be a process of trial and error.
Conclusively, Gruber argues that feminists need to focus their attention more on “the
principles of solidarity and distributive equality” (Gruber, 659). Gruber finally states that our
current court system imposes stereotypes and racial boundaries around people, which don’t allow
for progression in any system. For Gruber, feminist intervention begins where the actual violence
occurs, not necessarily within the courts.
Lilia Cortina and Suzanne Swan elaborate further on the “chilling” climate experienced
by women today in academia. Today’s academic environment is vital to any student’s success.
The study presented shows the correlation between victimization and the actual academic
climate. “Misogynist comments, displays of pornographic pictures, unwanted pressure for dates,
sexual coercion and sexual assault reflect the sexism and victimization women encounter at
universities nationwide.”
Currently, one in two females are estimated to experience some form of sexual
harassment behavior during her years in school. Swan and Cortina’s study found that 4% of first-
year students had been assaulted by the spring of their freshman year, where the incidence of
assault then rose to 10% for third-year women, and then 28% of students in their fifth year or
beyond. (Swan, Cortina, 1998).
Feminism and education are the first vital steps into a future where prevention works and
sexual assault doesn’t exist. However, it’s also important to know why rapists do what they do.
Rape is almost never actually about sex. The most dominant theme in sexual assault
actually is power. Rape is explicitly the use of sexuality to express power and anger. Next, social

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and sexual inadequacies are the second most common theme. Rapists will overthrow these
feelings of inadequacy by asserting control and dominance through sexual behavior, which also
tends to be where women are most threatened.
According to a 1997 National Institute of Justice study, an estimate of between one-fifth
and one-quarter of women in college are victims of a completed or attempted rape and or assault
while in college. According to the study, women in college are far greater in risk of experiencing
assault than any other general population or in any other comparable age group. (Armstrong,
Hamilton, Sweeny, Sexual Assault on Campus).
Literature Review - Victim Blaming: Societies Scapegoat To a Massive Problem
Currently, Colorado is the sixth highest state with reported sexual assault cases.
Demographics show that one in four women will experience some form of assault in their
lifetime, while one in seventeen men will experience similar assault. (“What is Sexual Assault”
15).
“She had it coming.”
“She was asking for it.”
“She did not say no.”
It’s understood that victim blaming is often the scapegoat for a perpetrator. Our society
will all too often misunderstand someone who has experienced assault. According to Sandra
Gotovac, sexual assault is one of the few crimes in which the survivor/victim is “held responsible
for preventing or stopping an attack” (Gotovac, 2015). A victims control of their intoxication,
provocative dress, and whether or not the victim forcefully tried to resist an attacker all are
victim blaming and are attitudes about rape that influence volition; which is also known as
Attribution Theory. Attribution Theory explains that people attribute the causes of outcomes to

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individuals or environments. This is especially detrimental to individuals who have experienced
assault and seek out medical or police support. “No one should be seen as less deserving or
denied proper care because they are seen as being “at fault” (Gotovac, 2015). Keeping in mind
that sexual assault is about power and rarely ever about sex, it’s easy to understand that
questioning a victim’s integrity is wrong. According to Gotovac, more than half of women
reporting assault were questioned about their sexual history and asked by doctors and nurses why
they were with their attacker. One-third of women reported to being asked about their choice of
clothing and/or behaviors.
These phrases are a prime example of how our society is wrong in their knowledge of
assault. A recent study of Norwegian teenage girls (15-18) found that 40% of the sample made
choices outside the realm of what they would consider their normal behavior while under the
influence of alcohol. As stated above, assault happens when someone makes a choice on
someone else’s behalf. In other words, assault happens when someone isn’t able to make a
choice clearly and conscientiously. Seven percent of the same population of girls who drank to
the point of intoxication admitted to some form of sexual assault while under the influence.
That’s nearly 1 in 10 girls. This study seeks to find correlation rather than causation (PAPE,
2014).
In another national US study of 148 college-enrolled males, 77% percent of males
admitted to at least one act of sexual aggression in their lifetime. 74% of those males also self-
reported symptoms of problematic drinking habits (McCabe, 2005).
How could someone take advantage of someone else who isn’t able to control
themselves? Today’s society tells men that it’s a success to have sexual intercourse. As stated
above though, sexual assault is not about having sex. Rapists act on four different primary

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motives: opportunity, persuasive anger, sexual gratification and vindictiveness. Studies have
also shown that there’s a link between assault and intent to humiliation. In a case study of over
63 police reports from sexual assault victims, 63% found that a perpetrator performed sexual acts
on a victim that were considered traditionally unacceptable as well as acts that weren’t entirely
too physically injurious, but still humiliating. (McCabe, 2005).
As I have illustrated, sexual assault is not an individual’s problem. Most of the time, the
only person at blame for assault is the perpetrator. Survivors of assault do not deserve the blame
for what happened to them. They are the victim. Assault is about power over another person,
rarely ever is it truly about sex.
On the whole, sexual assault is an issue that needs to be prevented at a foundational level.
Education is needed for individuals to understand how to prevent and how to stop assault from
happening. Feminism arguably could play a major role in stopping assault, especially once
people realize that it is a community process: inclusive of both men and women working
together. Assault isn’t strictly a woman’s problem. It isn’t a man’s problem. It’s a community
issue that desperately needs to be addressed. Assault does not happen due to the acts of an
individual, nor does it happens when people are grossly misinformed with what assault is.
Assault happens when someone does not adhere to the strict definition of consent. In other
words, a simple “No” should mean no and in theory should be plenty for someone to back off. A
simple “yes” gives consent, and allows the green light.
Thesis
Education is undoubtedly the first step toward eradicating sexual assault. Comprehensive
assault centers such as The Blue Bench make strides in the community educating people on the
issue and how exactly it can be prevented. Assault is a communal issue that cannot be stopped

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with laws or legislation that simply make it illegal. Rather, assault ceases to exist when
individuals realize that rape is not about sex. It is about power and control. Rape ceases to exist
when equality is achieved between sexes and people realize that both men and women are
discriminated against. Rape does not stop when a survivor is blamed for clothing choice,
questionable intentions, or even if a survivor tried to fend off an attacker. These actions are
actually counter productive of society’s common goal: ridding the world of assault.
About the Organization
The Blue Bench was founded in 1983 after a founding member was assaulted and
ultimately raped. One month later efforts were set in place to end the dilemma of assault, and a
small team of three forward thinking women (including the woman who was assaulted) started
canvassing the Denver area. Approximately one month later, they had received enough donations
to establish Denver’s first sexual assault hotline and inaugurate their presence in the community
with the first comprehensive non-profit seeking to support and advocate for survivors.
Since its founding, The Blue Bench (TBB) has helped over 450,000 individuals on their
path toward healing. TBB is Denver’s only comprehensive rape-crisis center through their
Continuum of Care. It allows for survivors to come to the organization at any point during their
healing process and access the Bench’s care programs. Continuum programs consist of
immediate response programs, workshops, and therapy sessions.
Immediate response programs consist of the organization’s 24-hour sexual assault
hotline, which is available for anyone at anytime. The 24-hour assault hotline is the first step
toward accessing the organization’s program. After speaking with trained volunteers on the
hotline, a survivor is then assigned to a case manager, who will then screen the survivor to see if
the organization can actually assist the person. The case manager is also the person who will

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follow the person through the entire process of healing and help connect a victim to other
resources and programs TBB offers. Secondly, therapy is also offered through TBB with
individual and group sessions. Through continued support of the community, these sessions are
offered for free or for little to no cost to the survivor. Lastly, TBB offers workshops to survivors
and their loved ones. The TBB believes that assault does not just affect the victim, but rather the
entire community.
The Blue Bench also provides preventative education measures to ensure that future
generations realize the gravity of the problem that is assault. Much of the effort TBB puts out is
in preventative measures. To stay neutral, TBB does not support legislation currently being
debated. However, with the Pathway to Prevention program, TBB is able to enter middle schools
and high schools and provide age- appropriate education on the matter of dating violence and
assault. It’s imperative to TBB to place these programs in schools, because while there are laws
in place to stop sexual assault, it is still an issue. They believe that the first stop to stopping the
problem, is educating the general population on an issue that is entirely too taboo in today’s
society.
Data
Observations were collected from February 3rd until April 16th, 2015. I observed under
two different canvassers, Stephanie Dibble and Forrest Dryer. While observing, I was slowly
introduced into the art of door-to-door canvassing. During my second interview, day 2, and day 4
I was assigned to work with Stephanie. During day 6, I was assigned to work with Forrest, who
also is typically our field manager. Stephanie and Forrest both have been at the Blue Bench for
under a year. During my 10-day training session, I worked with both persons to strengthen my
RAP (short for rapport). In each 10-day training session, we also were required to do assigned

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reading on the dilemma of assault, as to educate ourselves on the issue. Also included in the
readings was information on the programs offered at TBB. Our locations varied from in-office
work, to training on the actual turf we were assigned for the day’s canvass.
Analysis - The Internship Experience
My internship began on February 23, 2015 with the official title of “Community
Organizer.” My job incorporated extensive training of sexual assault through reading materials,
one-on-one seminars with fellow canvases, daily briefings with information relating to the
organization, updates on current legislation, and also canvassing actual neighborhoods relaying
organizational information as well as fundraising for our services we provide to actual survivors.
During my time at The Blue Bench, I canvassed over 1,000 doors and talked with well
over 600 people on the issue of sexual assault, relaying information on The Blue Bench that
incorporated our emergency hotline number, the programs for victims that are in place, and also
raising funds for those programs.
Throughout my nearly three months at The Blue Bench, I saw the issue of communities
being grossly misinformed come to light. Often times I would encounter individuals who
honestly would say and wholeheartedly believed that rape does not occur in their communities.
Living in the ghetto and living in middle class suburbia are not mutually exclusive. The
stark reality faces us daily: rape is an issue that people need to be educated on. Even through
non-profits such as The Blue Bench, or CCASA (Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault),
there is only such much work that they can do. Prevention is the main goal shared between any
sexual assault center, but prevention begins with people wanting to receive information. At first
glance, it’s understandable: a stranger knocking on your door repeatedly to give you information
and/or ask for a donation to one of a thousand worthy causes is an annoyance to anyone.

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However, it never ceased to amaze me when people actually would stop mid-door close and say
“OH! That’s a cause I would not mind learning more about.” It is especially unique when people
invite you into their homes, let you sit down, and let you openly start a conversation with them
on assault. People do not expect to have this conversation at any point in their daily lives, so
working toward pushing individuals to start the conversation is also a critical step in halting
assault. When we open the door for individuals to have this conversation and receive information
and knowledge on the long-term goals we set in place, they don’t seem so far fetched. Seeing a
spark in people when they realize they are becoming advocates toward ending sexual assault is
necessary for communities that struggle with this issue.
On one particularly memorable experience, I was talking to an elderly man in a
Lakewood community that stopped me mid-conversation when I introduced the topic that men
indeed do experience sexual assault, to which he said “Seriously? Men encounter rape? Isn’t rape
only supposed to happen to girls who deserve it?”
This man embodies the classic mindset that people “deserve” to be raped. Rape, again, is
not about sexual acts. Rape is about harnessing power over another human in order to gain
control. Communities that wholeheartedly believe sexual assault does not happen around them
are severely misinformed on the issue.
Women are not mutually exclusive to men in terms of being able to be raped. Rather,
men, women, and children are all entirely at risk for sexual assault. People must realize that
generalizations and misinformation is backward toward ending sexual assault. Not one person
who has experienced sexual assault has asked for it to happen to them.
Analysis - Interviews

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Interviews happened on a range of different dates with different specialists within the
realm of assault, both inter organizational of The Blue Bench and outside the organization. My
first interview was conducted on March 6, 2015 with Sarah Stapp, the Canvas Director to The
Blue Bench, also my boss. My second interview was conducted on March 12, 2015 with Dan
Palotta, who is currently an intern therapist.
Sarah’s job as a Canvas Director has provided her with the skills and knowledge to train
individual advocates on the issue of sexual assault. Sarah graduated from Texas A&M in 2008.
When training community organizers to go out into neighborhoods and speak with people on an
issue they didn’t think was applicable to them, it’s important to have a knowledgeable group of
people equipped with the necessary resources to show the community that assault is an issue.
Sarah’s goal is reach the entire population of Denver through a team of people who are
highly trained in communication skills and highly passionate about social justice issues. Sarah’s
team incorporates all races, genders, ethnicities, and identities. She believes that since this issues
effects every population, every population should be able to identify with the canvasser at their
door.
Sarah’s involvement in grassroots lobbying began when she was back home in Texas,
with environmental campaigns. Originally, Sarah started with the Texas Campaign for the
Environment, which actually is within The Blue Bench’s wider network of partners. The
organization’s goal was direct political advocacy on recycling campaigns. To achieve such a
goal, Sarah and the organization participated in the Texas legislative session, which only
assembles every other year for four months. The organization realized that getting caught up and
placed into a pile with other interests groups would be inevitable if they didn’t directly get the
attention of their representatives.

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Sarah, along with her cohorts, went out into all of Texas’ 181 legislative districts and
rallied each district to receive letters from constituents. During this session, the legislation had
seen the highest number of first time office holders, so on each representatives first day, the
Texas Campaign for the Environment delivered 100-1000 letters from constituents in each
representatives respective districts.
Sarah then realized and saw firsthand how effective grassroots lobbying is. When you are
an especially small nonprofit, and change seems so unobtainable, it is nearly overwhelming to
even think of where to begin to change legislation, much less a community.
Sarah states that assault is a cultural problem where people are blamed for what’s
happened to them, and it is an issue where we blame and excuse certain behaviors. The Blue
Bench doesn’t focus on perpetrators, because they feel as though it’s the community that needs
education on the issue. Perpetrators are not guys tucked away in dark apartments, nor are they
men hiding out in bushes waiting for the right victim. Perpetrators, instead are spouses, relatives,
and humans that we interact with every single day. That is what The Blue Bench is out to do;
raise awareness about the issue at hand.
It’s through the Community Organizers that world is spread that assault is an issue that is
deeply rooted in the community. Community Organizers are out in the field smiling, laughing,
and joking with individuals showing them that this conversation is achievable and that it is a
reality that every community must face.
Sarah later stated that working in this field is completely different than her previous work
in the environmental non-profit route. There are many sides in the debate over the environment,
according to Sarah. There is the industry, what people want, where people view themselves in

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relationship to the planet, and where people stand to actually benefit or not benefit from
environmental legislation.
With rape,there are not many interests, sides or complexities. All that needs to happen is
that people stop assaulting one another, and then there’s absolutely no down side.
Currently, The Blue Bench does not support any legislation, as a way to remain
completely and exclusively unbiased. The Blue Bench does not believe in taking sides, so
neutrality is the best option. However, in 1988, The Blue Bench teamed with CCASA, The
Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault to present the Martial Rape Bill legislation. Prior to
this bill being enacted, it was completely legal for a spouse to rape another spouse. (Stapp).
Secondly, I interviewed with Dan Palotta on March 12, 2015. Dan is an intern therapist at
The Blue Bench, and just recently graduated from the University of Denver with a PhD in
Psychology.
Dan works a minimum of 20 hours each week with The Blue Bench, and at any given
time has a case-load of 6 clients that are receiving treatment from him specifically. The intern
therapists at The Blue Bench do assessments and treatment planning, conduct weekly sessions
with survivors, and process up to 2 intakes a week with new clients that are interested in working
with The Blue Bench for treatment. The intern team is responsible for the entire screening
process to see if they fit the criteria to work with The Blue Bench, and to see if The Blue Bench
can even be of service to that individual.
A typical day for Dan includes daily sessions of treatment for survivors. On most days,
Dan will only see 2 individuals, but also may conduct group therapy sessions if it is requested by
the survivor. After that, since he’s only an intern, he may receive a screen that needs to be done,

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or fix up his notes from that day’s sessions, or even catch up on paperwork that needs to be done
for survivors.
Screenings at the organization are typically an hour to an hour and a half. Survivors fill
out informational paperwork and sign off on different waivers. From there, it’s about making a
personal and deep connection to the survivor. The Blue Bench will receive a full psychological
history about not just their sexual assault, but really everything that had made who they are up to
that point. Backgrounds, families, risk assessment to identify suicidal tendency, self-harm, eating
disorders, and assessing the individual’s symptom levels are all part of the screening process.
The Blue Bench receives this comprehensive history due to the fact that they can’t treat someone
who is “broken” somewhere else. In the final steps of the screening, the survivor is asked what
issues they are currently experiencing and what it is they are hoping to get from their services at
The Blue Bench.
Palotta constantly is keeping updated with legislature within the Denver and Colorado
communities. He believes that keeping in touch with representatives is key to seeing what he
believes in come to light.
The message that Dan wants to spread via The Blue Bench is that healing is entirely
possibly for survivors. He believes that sexual assault is an issue that everyone should be talking
about, and that it’s something that we’re definitely able to prevent from happening.
Dan’s role is vital because he is the first impression of the organization and a survivor’s
first step toward the healing process. Survivors are the only people Dan works with, so he feels
well equipped to be able to start victims in their long process toward getting back to where they
were.

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With The Blue Bench’s counseling free for survivors, anyone is more than able to start
their process toward healing. At the Bench, they believe that people who are short on money,
who actually more experience more trauma in their lives, and who are otherwise afraid to see a
counselor should not be punished because they are unable to pay for it. Sexual assault affects
people across all socioeconomic classes, and so making sure these services are available to
everyone is hugely important to any community. Counseling is not cheap, so making sure that
people who are looking for help actually get it is imperative to a survivor’s mental health. At The
Blue Bench, it is services as basic as counseling that are seen as social justice issues that
everyone who experiences assault are completely entitled to.
When asked if there was anything else Dan would like to share with me, Dan wanted to
clarify that he believes that there is a certain stigma around his job. Most people tend to think
“God, that must be super depressing, that sounds really terrible.” Dan has been with The Blue
Bench for over a year, and never once has hated what he does for a career. Instead, Dan states
that he truly loves what he does. He if believed it to be super depressing, he would not do it. He
would quit. He believe that hard subject matter is possible, and seeing the healing process and
the change within people’s lives is super inspiring and exciting. He does not feel like it’s
depressing, at all. (Palotta).
The reality still remains: Assault is already illegal across the entire country. Is it because
of the ineffectiveness of the legal system and its punishment toward perpetrators? Is it because of
the societal norms?
The legal system has not necessarily failed its citizens, but rather the citizens have failed
the legal system. Again, sexual assault would not be an issue if people did not assault other
people. Sexual assault is a much more comprehensive issue than just a solution saying “Do not

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do it.” Sexual assault begins with misinformation, biases, and preprocessed notions of what the
issue is.
Assault will not stop when we blame individuals for their actions, believing that they
were raped for a reason of their own actions. Victim blaming is never acceptable, under any
circumstances. People do not ask to be raped, and do not ask for their entire lives to be uprooted
by a single act of aggression and power. It’s unfair to the victims to have blame placed on them
for something that is completely out of their control.
Social norms teach us the opposite. Today, we enforce the strong belief that choices on
behalf of the victims are the main driving force for assault. Often times, when a survivor walks
into an ER for a rape kit, they are first asked about their clothing choice, or even if they were
drinking. While drinking does impart judgment, as seen in the study conducted by Pape, it does
not mean that boys should take advantage of girls, nor vice versa (Pape, 2014). Victims are not at
fault, especially so because they may have made poor decisions.
Americans have done themselves a grave ill giving sex and society such a strong taboo.
Sexual assault has been labeled with abusive and harmful terminology that blames the victim,
instead of the perpetrator. Rape is a rare instance where the survivor is blamed for what has
happened to them, according to provocative dress, how hard they fought to escape, or even if
whether or not the victim had been participating in risky behaviors. People will always take
advantage of beneficial situations, but raping someone is not beneficial to anyone.
We live in a world today where we have to label the go-ahead for sex. Consent allows for
individuals to give the go-ahead for sexual activity. Why should an individual have to give such
a clear-cut and definitive answer to another individual of whether or not to have sex? It seems as
though confusion plays a major role in societies misunderstanding of consent. Consent means

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that a second party is completely of age, is completely knowledgeable of their decisions, and is
in the right state of mind to make the decision of whether or not to have sex. Anything outside
that specific scope is considerably sexual assault.
My thesis is supported by multiple case studies, as shown above. With statistics like 68%
of rape victims not reporting their assault, it is detrimental for educational programs to be put
into place immediately. Throughout this paper, I have presented multiple case studies that in fact
show that sexual assault is not the fault of a victim, but rather of societies ills and
misinformation. In order to remove rape and assault from a community, we must start educating
our youth on the issue and remove the stigma behind it.
Discussion
If nothing else, my research has led me to believe that assault can be stopped. It is not an
issue field in which we can do nothing about. Communities are indeed showing an interest in
assault education. A prime example of this ideology is the recent passage of Erin’s Law in 12
different states. Currently, many other states are in discussing toward passing similar laws with
similar goals, just with different names for each.
By far, the most fatal aspect in any and in all of the research I have done lies within the
underestimates and underreporting of sexual assault. Today’s society has banished the thought of
sexual assault in the common misbelief that it doesn’t happen in richer communities, it only
happens to those who are asking for it, deserve it, or those who belong to certain ethnic or
economic class. Underreporting refers to the notion of a victim not reporting an assault, therefore
staying silent on the traumatic event that just occurred. In most cases, underreporting happens
because people believe no one will believe what has happened to a person, or because a close
family member has actually assaulted the victim. Pressure from a perpetrator is likely also a

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cause for underreporting because of the fear and loathing that is placed onto a victim. Social
status also may play a role in underreporting due to the hierarchy of modern society and the
negative stigma that is correlated to an assault.
Sexual assault is not an issue that will go away with time, rather, research has shown that
statistics are only getting worse. However, with efforts around the country to defeat these
numbers, organizations are making strides in the effort to eliminate assault through educational
programs, legislation, and gender awareness.
Legislation cannot be the backbone in the fight against sexual assault. No matter how
many laws a government can pass, sexual assault will not just simply end. Educational measures
such as Erin’s Law are critical to lowering our nation’s rape crisis. However, being only enacted
in 2011, Erin’s Law does not have absolutely concrete statistics showing that it is working. That
being said, 16 states have currently passed Erin’s Law and adapted the curricula into the school
systems in the past 4, which alone speak volumes for the eagerness states are willing to adapt
these programs into their system. Currently, 13 more states are in the process of passing “Erin’s
Law” as well as similar legislation that have other names.
Feminism and equality are the cornerstone to understanding and gaining insight into such
an issue as sexual assault. While anyone can fall victim to rape and violence, there is inevitably
an influx of women and young girls that fall victim to sexual assault. Within today’s context of
feminism, people are quick to assume that the ideology sets out to dismantle the patriarchy of
men in society. While this is not even the case, feminism seeks to set standards that equate men
to women. Men should not govern how a female’s body functions, nor should it be the standard
that women are responsible for sexual assault because of their choices. Rather, feminism wants
to level the playing field. Issues within both communities of male and female ideology are

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skewed, especially when it comes to sexual assault. Men are forced into a society that tells them
to be the “alpha”, to reproduce and have sexual relations with as many women as possible. This
ideology is shared by common societal beliefs across the globe. Men are rewarded and praised
when sexual relations are achieved. Women, on the other hands, are put down and shamed by the
sexual relations they encounter, especially so when rape occurs.
Victim blaming is a key societal norm in society today that speaks toward how we
perceive sexual assault. Placing blame on any one but the perpetrator is inconceivable, especially
so when we realize that once we wrongfully place blame on a victim, it speaks volumes toward
whose “side” society is taking. Sexual assault is a disgusting act of outward violence toward
another human being from someone who themselves is inclined toward being power hungry, and
forcibly strips someone else of their power and self-control. Victim blaming allows for society to
once again cover-up and step around the real issue at hand: why sexual assault is happening in
the first place. It’s not because someone didn’t say no, and it’s certainly not because someone
was wearing the wrong dress at the wrong time. Sexual assault happens because people do not
realize the gravity of the act itself.
Starting out my research, I was eager to better my understanding of sexual assault, even
though I was definitely uneasy about the issue. Having to work with and effectively
communicate such an intense issue was a pivotal learning experience for me, as it pushed me
outside my comfort zone and into a realm I thought I’d never enter: canvassing. Having to
canvas neighborhoods was by far my most challenging problem throughout my experience these
past 4 months, especially so when I became invested in what I was doing. Being in the streets
from 4pm in the afternoon until 10pm at night taught me what it meant to truly care for and stand

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for something you believe. The rage you feel when a door is slammed on your face is
incomparable to any other feeling.
Working toward ending an issue like sexual assault has been a powerful force in realizing
that I do have the capability to raise awareness on an issue, and can make strides in different
communities on reshaping the ideas and harmful misinformed thoughts that people within these
communities potential have.
Working with professionals within a non-profit sector has given me the tools and
capabilities to effectively communicate on social justice issues. People rarely ever like hearing
the truth on a subject, often times because it is difficult to hear. Parents do not want to hear that 1
in 4 little girls and 1 in 7 little boys experience sexual assault before the age of 18, but that is the
reality of the situation. It is not necessarily that parents want to avoid the reality, but rather do
not want their children having to face societies ills at such a young age. Youth is about innocence
and freedom, not stress and worry. Shielding children from such strong subject matter is not
necessarily detrimental to youth, but it is potentially harmful. Children who experience sexual
assault are likely to one day become perpetrators themselves. Assault education does not seek to
use scare tactics or undermine a parents teaching to their children. Assault education only has
one purpose: provide age appropriate education on the subject matter that allows children and
young adults to make wiser much more concise choices and decisions about situations that could
potentially arise in their lifetime. Being able to identify and report such situations are vital the
mental and physical well-being of any child. No one should have to experience rape or the
harmful side effects it may bring long term.
Shining the light on such a difficult topic has been an eye-opening experience for me as
well. Before starting my research, I believed that sexual assault was not nearly the problem the

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world today makes it out to be. For starters, I was entirely misinformed on the issue, believing
that sexual assault was indeed about sex. Not being from Colorado, I was granted the opportunity
through The Blue Bench to learn in depth about the growing problem here in Colorado alone.
Being apart of a new community and learning its ills was an experience that led me to believe
that change is possible not matter where you go. Being from Las Vegas, I have realized that
strides are still to be made in my hometown community alone, much less the actual Denver
community. Going from where I was to where I am now, an advocate, has been a big leap in my
change in ideology on the subject.
Since starting my research, I have gladly shared my knowledge both outside the
classroom and within. Through The Blue Bench, I was invited to participate in the Denver Metro
Area’s “It’s On Us” campaign. The campaign seeks to create advocates toward ending sexual
assault in the community. I received my very own spot within the campaign commercial, along
side policemen, other advocates, nurses, and my fellow canvassers. Creating a stronger
understanding and sparking healthy conversation are the cornerstone to the campaign, so
reaching as broad of an audience as possible were detrimental to the campaign’s continued
success. They tried to incorporate individuals from within different parts of the Denver
community, all-seeking to share the similar goal: end the issue through raising awareness on the
issue.
This semester, I have also shared my knowledge to different students in different classes
through different projects and a PSA video I myself have created. Advocating for an issue does
not limit you to going door to door. Rather, it begins when you feel strongly about an issue and
end whens the issue is resolved.

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My research has led me to believe that sexual assault is not impossible to eradicate from
society. All that needs to happen is people be more receptive and willing to receive information
on sexual assault and remove the taboo that is incorporated within it.
Conclusion
Sexual assault is not about sex. Sexual assault can only cease to exist once entire
communities realize the gravity of the situation and realize that immediate action is required.
Feminism is the basis for the fight against sexual assault in the sense that feminism equates to
equality between all genders, which is severely needed in order to gain an equal understanding of
sexual assault. Victim blaming is never acceptable nor is it applicable in any circumstance.
Victim blaming means that a survivor of sexual assault deserved what happened to them, which
is never the case.
Laws are not enough the prevent sexual assault. Legislation does enforce the punishment
for the act of sexual assault, but does nearly nothing in terms of prevent sexual assault. More
states arguably need to pass stronger laws, and/or incorporate mandated legislation into the
preventative program curricula. Further, legislation this is comprehensive and federally
mandated could be a great jumping point for the fight in preventing sexual assault.
With the research presented in this paper, I have proven the point that awareness is
absolutely the key toward ending sexual assault and rape. Conclusively, communities that are
aware about the issue are also aware of the preventative measures that are needed to be put into
place.

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