Men’s group One in Four to address rape on campus
courtesy of One in Four
Between one in four and one in five women will be raped during their college life, according to Bonnie Fisher of the National Institute of Justice. Eighty-six percent of female college rape survivors have known their offender, and fewer than five percent of those assaulted have informed law enforcement.
In light of these statistics, numerous support programs at Washington University have formed, such as SARAH (Sexual Assault and Rape Action Hotline), CORE (Committee Organized for Rape Education), and COSA (Committee on Sexual Assault).
One In Four is the newest peer-education group against rape. The purpose of the undergraduate, all-male group is to raise awareness among males of the issues of rape and assault.
Many have probably learned about this group through its poster campaign, which mentioned the above statistics and featured male students and faculty members standing side by side “against rape.”
The posters, according to sophomore Rishi Rattan, director of One in Four, were part of the group’s larger campaign to encourage men to take an active role in speaking out against rape and “no longer be reluctant guardians of the status quo, but rather be the agents of change.”
The organization started as a political action group, The Men’s Initiative, by several WU students two years ago. As the group became increasingly popular, they gained support from peers and faculty. Last spring, WU graduates Dave Olmen, Danny Meyer, and Eric Ferkel decided to organize The Men’s Initiative into a SU sanctioned student group.
The group was renamed One in Four and started planning for a training program for sexual assault peer educators, a project which is still underway. Additionally, One In Four will be sponsoring Sexual Assault Awareness Week in October, which will include various forums for men to discuss rape The group will also participate in Take Back the Night in March, an event which features a women’s march and male discussion groups focusing on rape awareness.
For more information about joining the efforts of One in Four, contact Rishi Rattan, director, at [email protected] or Craig Woodsmall, advisor, at [email protected]
Popularity: 1% [?]
Related Posts
Print This Post