Nationally, 1 in 6 women, and 1 in 33 men, will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
College age women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
But the women of Brenau University spent Wednesday evening fighting back by holding a Take Back the Night event.
For roughly 40 years now, colleges, rape crisis centers, women’s shelters and high school groups have been hosting the annual event in October, designated as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to promote awareness of sexual violence and to support those who have been victims.
Alison Sellers, a Brenau sophomore, helped Alpha Chi Omega sorority organize the event. Sex Signals, an improvisation group, performed a candid skit that highlights the differences between the way women and men perceive sex. A candle light vigil honoring victims of sexual violence and a sexual abuse forum followed.
“We want to unite the campus in a women for women experience,” Sellers said. “Because we are an all-women’s college, we want to nurture these women and empower women to take back the night.”
Early Take Back the Night events focused on unsafe streets, cities and campuses and later events protested pornography and the degradation of women. Take Back the Night events have evolved to highlight the problems of violence against women including sexual abuse, stalking, dating violence and domestic violence.
It’s unfortunate that many victims of sexual violence never get the help they need, said Brenau senior Tinika Haynes.
“I do think it happens a lot more than it’s reported,” she said. “Females are not necessarily going to run and report it.”
Tiffany Adams, director of student life and leadership at Brenau, said that’s why the Take Back the Night event carries a powerful message. She said the event spreads the message about healthy relationships, how to recognize warning signs of a potential abuser, and how a girl can get help, if needed, for herself or for a friend.
“I think this is important of our women to know so that they don’t find themselves in unhealthy, abusive relationships or marriages later on in life,” she said.