On Oct. 5 the story broke and everything changed. Harvey Weinstein has been sexually harassing women for a timeline of multiple decades. Now the big question seems to be, who else?
In high positions of a growing number of industries, sexual assault allegations have started to come more and more frequently as women and men find the courage to speak up about their traumatic experiences.
They often use social media as a platform for this, as well as filing lawsuits and agreeing to interviews, and many times using the hashtag #metoo as a marker of the sexual assault endured. Through these outlets, the quantity of reports has reached numbers hard to keep track of.
Some reports seem cut and dry. Weinstein, for instance, admitted to some of the allegations against him and is actively seeking help to change his behavior. However, not everyone is ready to accept such accusations. Ray Moore, the Republican nominee for the Senate race in Alabama, is accused of having sexual relations and making sexual advances to women of ages as young as 16 and 14.
These are only two high profile examples, and there are many more to pick through to understand the full scope of what’s becoming an epidemic in the United States. Higher education has also experienced its own rash of headlines, further proving the unfortunate fact that anybody is capable of committing sexual assault of any kind.
The trouble with so many cases of sexual assault being blown wide open and so many people’s lives being sifted through is that not every accusation is true. Sometimes, unfortunately, there is a person or two who tries to use a sensitive time for their own gain and at the expense of others.
Jemma Beale, a women now serving 10 years in prison for perjury and perverting courts of justice, falsely accused 15 different men of sexual assault. Whatever a person’s reason, this is as concerning as those that have truthfully come forward.
Sexual assault, and false accusations of such, is simply wrong and has no place in civilized society. Yet, people are not perfect. There remain open cases that suggest a misunderstanding between parties, rather than a blatant instance of misconduct.
The Spur, of course, condemns sexual assault in all forms, but also invites people to open themselves up to dialogue concerning physical contact with people they exist closely with. Reaching an understanding of what is and isn’t permitted between yourself and another is a very simple way to help avoid a situation reaching traumatic implications.
SMSU President Connie Gores gives this advice, “At SMSU, student and employee safety is our top priority. We work everyday to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all. If there are any concerns or issues related to sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual violence, etc, please contact Human Resources. If you are an employee, or if you are a student, please contact the Counseling Center, New Horizons, Residence Life, or the Dean of Students Office, etc. It is important that we support each other and always treat each other respectfully.”