Chapman hosts events aiming to spread awareness about sexual violence
An outdoor exhibit of T-shirts designed by sexual assault survivors decorates campus each semester and is coordinated by Chapman’s Creating a Rape-free Environment for Students (C.A.R.E.S) program. JAKE NEEDHAM, Staff Photographer
Just as Women’s History Month came to a close, Chapman Univerity’s Creating a Rape-free Environment for Students (C.A.R.E.S) program hosted two events dedicated to spreading awareness about sexual violence: the Clothesline Project March 30 and Take Back the Night March 31.
The Clothesline Project is part of a nationwide campaign to spread awareness about violence against women. Unlike the original campaign, Chapman’s Clothesline Project amplifies the experiences of all survivors regardless of gender identity. Color-coded t-shirt created by students, staff and faculty over the years serve as a visual depiction of impact of sexual violence on the Chapman community.
Dani Smith serves as a rape crisis counselor at Chapman University and is the coordinator for C.A.R.E.S, a group of Chapman students committed to educating and raising awareness about rape and sexual assault. According to Smith, the Clothesline Project is meant to give survivors a voice and empower others to share their stories.
“People get lost when we talk numbers and statistics,” Smith said. “The Clothesline Project is one vehicle to help people to understand that this is truly a hidden epidemic. We have to educate people, (and) we have to hold people accountable for their behaviors.”
Jessica Vieira is an associate marriage and family therapist at Mariposa Women and Family Center, an Orange-based nonprofit specializing in women’s healthcare issues. Vieira works in the Counseling Program and Women’s Substance Use Disorder Program, and she also has firsthand experience working with survivors of sexual violence.
Vieria noted that due to systemic barriers like lack of community support for survivors and damaging cultural norms that perpetuate victim-blaming, the vast majority of sexual assaults go unreported.
This is especially true for individuals who hold marginalized identities. According to the DOJ, 60 percent of Black women have experienced some form of sexual abuse by the age of 18.
“This is a result of historical, chronological systems of oppression such as heterosexism, cisgenderism, sexism, racism and classism that prove to be overarching societal issues which continue to be highly impactful,” Vieria said.
Historically margnized peoples, particularly those holding multiple, intersecting marginalized identities are much more likely to experience victimization via sexual violence.
A statewide assessment published by the University of California, San Diego Center on Gender Equity and Health in 2019 found that LGBTQIA+ individuals of varying identities are at a much higher risk for sexual victimization. Women identifying as lesbian or bisexual reported experiencing sexual assault at a rate of 81%, and participants identifying as gay or bisexual men reported experiencing sexual harassment at a rate of 92%.
“In my experience, one of the hardest things for many survivors is finding a community,” Vieria said. “There is nothing worse than having such a dehumanizing and demoralizing experience and then feeling alone after.”
According to Ryan Joshi, a freshman mathematics major and C.A.R.E.S member, the rape prevention group aims to create a community that empowers survivors to share their stories. Along with the Clothesline Project and the Take Back the Night event, C.A.R.ES. also hosts a “Healthy Panther” seminar during Freshman Orientation every school year, aimed at educating incoming students about consent.
“It's important to spread awareness about sexual violence because it could happen to anyone,” Joshi told The Panther. “Someone you know very well might be a victim of sexual violence without you knowing.”
Take Back the Night is also part of a global movement to stand against sexual violence. College campuses and communities across the world host their own Take Back the Night events every March. At the event, community members are given a safe space to share their stories and participate in a candlelit walk to stand in solidarity with survivors.
“Sexual violence is a crime of power,” Smith said. “Take Back the Nights offer survivors an opportunity to speak their truths and their experiences. Our role is to hear them and hold their stories and validate them.”
This issue of sexual violence in the Chapman community has been magnified by the conviction of 22-year-old Dalante Jerome Bell March 31. Bell was convicted of two felony charges, assault with intent to commit a sexual offense and sexual penetration with a foreign object, related to an early morning Sept. 24 attack on a Chapman student outside Henley Hall.
“Being in Orange County and in the larger community of Southern California, we have a larger number of resources (for survivors) than some other areas of the country,” Vieria told The Panther. “However, most of the resources focus on the individual after their traumatic experiences, which place the responsibility onto the survivor to overcome their experiences.”
According to Vieria, data from California Department of Justice (DOJ) found that a total of 777 violent crimes reported in Orange County in 2020 were sexual violence-related; more specifically, 730 reported cases of rape and 47 cases of attempted rape.
“Even if it's your significant other, family or best friend, ask before you give that hug, kiss or gesture of touch,” Joshi said. “It's not hard to ask, ‘Can I hug you?’ or ‘Can I kiss you?’ but it's an important step and one that lets the person you are asking know that their feelings are valid.”
“If you see something, say something. Talk about it, and call people out — even if they are your friend. Remember, people perceive you by who you surround yourself with.”
Garrett Cook, a sophomore film production major and another member of C.A.R.E.S., believes that the most important thing students can do is be active bystanders.
“If you see something, say something,” Cook said. “Talk about it, and call people out — even if they are your friend. Remember, people perceive you by who you surround yourself with.”
Being an active bystander is just one of the ways Vieria believes students can all do their part to end sexual violence.
“What makes a large community like Orange County wonderful is that everyone has different resources that they can provide and contribute,” Vieria said. “Most people don’t realize how effective they as individuals can be at bringing about change.”
Students interested in getting involved with C.A.R.E.S. can attend their weekly meetings Fridays at noon in Argyros Forum 206C.