At first glance, rape is the utmost violation of the body, a physical crime. Naturally, efforts to prevent it often center around physical defenses, such as wearable devices.
Act 1: From Bystander to Ally
For instance, South African doctor Dr. Sonette Ehlers developed the Rape-aXe, a female condom embedded with sharp barbs that would snag an attacker’s penis during an assault, causing severe pain upon withdrawal. However, when it was unveiled in 2005, Rape-aXe was met with criticism for being perceived as vengeful and potentially dangerous to victims, prompting concerns about exacerbating the situation. Since then, the device has not proliferated or even been marketed, leaving its availability uncertain (wikipedia).
Such extreme measures, however, raise an important question: why must women resort to uncomfortable or potentially dangerous tools to prevent assault in the first place? At its core, rape is ultimately a societal issue, a symptom of underlying, erroneous gender norms and unchecked power dynamics. To start tackling this issue, the first and immediate step we must take is shifting the focus from individual self-defense to collective responsibility. It is most crucial to foster environments—from home, school, and beyond—that promote safety, respect, and responsibility for one another. This shift from the individual to the community invites the role of bystanders—people who witness or are aware of a potentially harmful situation. When bystanders take action, they transform from passive onlookers into allies, and they can create a space that actively prevents rape and other forms of sexual violence.
Henceforth, the first solution: bystander intervention programs. Several studies do indeed highlight the efficacy of bystander intervention programs in communities. A systematic review performed by Kettrey and colleagues illustrated that on-campus (college) efforts for increasing bystander intervention did increase the participants’ knowledge and attitudes regarding sexual violence (Kettrey et al., 2019). Moreover, an in-depth research conducted by Inman and colleagues at the University of New Hampshire and an unnamed private Jesuit Catholic liberal arts college in Massachusetts revealed that Bringing in the Bystander™ (program for combating sexual assault) did further increase and promote bystander intervention awareness among students (Inman et al., 2018).
These key pieces of evidence seem to suggest that intervention programs can facilitate environments that empower individuals to intervene before violence occurs. And empowering the people in the periphery to step into the forefront plays a crucial role in proactive prevention and ultimately creates a space where sexual violence can be actively kept at bay.
Limitations
The aforementioned bystander intervention programs seem to be a notable first step forward at higher education institutions for creating safer spaces and communities. However, as highlighted in the same study by Kettrey and colleagues, there were limitations: the effects of the intervention training/programs seemed to diminish over time, especially after 6 months. Furthermore, the study also revealed that there weren’t observable improvements in the actual statistics of sexual perpetration and there was a further need for research.
Given these points, it would be prudent to realize that there needs to be long-term changes that can address the root causes of sexual violence—misogyny, toxic masculinity, and of course, consent. Hence, there need to be educational efforts in place that directly address and instill these core principles into individuals, preferably when they are younger.
Act 2: Educational Efforts
Early education is a key and proactive effort in instilling the long-term pillars of respect, empathy, and healthy gender norms; classrooms become spaces where young minds can be positively molded, teaching them about consent, boundaries, and equality helps them understand personal rights and reinforces the dignity of others.
One compelling example is the Ujamaa Africa initiative in Kenya, a program that aimed to reduce the prevalence of rape and sexual assault in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The program taught boys not only to intervene in the event of an assault but rather relevantly, the respect for women. The initiative used a program dubbed “Your moment of Truth,” the curriculum of which comprised two six-hour lessons for adolescent boys how to make better choices, including whether or not to rape someone, etc., using social theory principles (newtactics.org).
The program reported successful and fruitful findings: Boys who had completed the program also were successful in stopping or preventing sexual assaults. Six months after the course had been completed, 47.7% of the boys had witnessed verbal sexual harassment, 47% had witnessed someone physically threatening a girl or woman, and most importantly, over 70% of those had successfully intervened to stop the abuse in each case (newtactics.org).
The Ujamaa Africa initiative overall highlighted that teaching boys to respect women when they are younger is an investment in the future since these boys become men who will respect women when they are older and are married.
Furthermore, there are other efforts around the world in teaching young children the concepts of consent.
Power up, Speak Out, is a multi-lesson program in schools in Montana, United States. It actively practices students to understand consent through exercises like a student repeatedly asking for a hug and a partner coming up with different ways to say no each time (edutopia.org).
These efforts in various schooling systems outline the importance and possibility of indeed educating students not only on their bodies and their consent, but also those of others. Ultimately, by equipping young minds with the principles to understand boundaries and make ethical decisions, we create future generations that prioritizes the dignity and rights of others.
Closing Thoughts
In addressing sexual violence, it becomes evident that proactive prevention cannot solely rely on reactive measures or temporary solutions. While bystander intervention programs play a vital role in creating immediate safe spaces, they must be coupled with long-term educational initiatives that address the root causes of the issue—gender norms, respect, and consent. Programs like Ujamaa Africa and Power Up, Speak Out show us the importance of early education efforts in creating posterity that have a natural disposition toward gender and consent.
Granted, such a pervasive and complex issue requires a multifaceted approach across other perspectives and lenses not covered by this paper, such as the cultural perspective that ultimately varies across states and ultimately continents. Hence, there is a need for community tailored solutions that address the socioeconomic, cultural, and religious factors of a particular community to create a future where sexual violence can not only mitigated but eradicated.
By: Ian Park
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