Group looks to men for help in preventing rape

PUBLISHED by The Daily Free Press


Reaching out to a group not normally in discussions about preventing sexual assaults, health experts asked men to consider how they can prevent rape by being more self-aware and having good communication with sex partners at a workshop at Boston University last night.


Although representatives from Men Can Stop Rape target a male audience, only five of the 15 students at the workshop were male in the Terrace Lounge of the George Sherman Union.

"Men really are a minority at BU, and their voices aren't always heard," said Alexandra Alderfer, president of Every Person Counts, the BU gender-equality group that sponsored the lesson.

"We want to show them what they can do, to stand up for themselves. This is a different way of looking at the same topic we've been talking about for years."

The workshop is a component of Washington, D.C.-based group Men Can Stop Rape, which was founded to prevent men's violence against women through education.

Consulting and Training Coordinator Joseph Vess opened the discussion by asking the men to put themselves in a woman's place and asked them what they would do to prevent a rape.

"Many men don't think they have to worry about sexual assault because they think, 'I won't rape,'" Vess said. "There are so many things men can do, and we don't have an excuse not to be doing them."

Vess also showed pictures of men and said a man's self-image can make him think less of women. He talked about men's essential machismo qualities and said male power perceptions make women more prone to sexual assaults.

"[The workshop] made me realize how much in society harms women," said Every Person Counts Secretary Emily Ortuso.

Ortuso, a School of Education junior, said she agreed with Alderfer's observation that the issue is especially important to BU students - not only because college campuses have high rates of sexual assault, but because of the school's urban atmosphere.

College of Arts and Sciences senior Ryan Moore said discussing about men's roles in preventing rape is especially relevant in light of a female visitor to Warren Towers reporting she was sexually assaulted in a bathroom early Sept. 30.

"The biggest part is a lot of guys don't know what sexual assault is," Moore said. "We don't talk about it enough."
Moore said he was upset more men did not show up, because the workshop focused on clearing up myths about rape and the root causes of sexual assault.

Every Person Counts Vice President Carrie Chiusano said she agreed the issue is not talked about enough, adding she hopes people will "stop and think about society and things we stereotype."

"A lot of people are questioning [society's perceptions], which is what I wanted," the College of Communication junior said.

Chiusano said she would like to host the workshop again. The workshop was in planning since August, and its occurrence after the alleged recent assault was a coincidence.