Student leaders across the District are battling stereotypes with a new national campaign calling on college-aged men to prevent sexual assault.
A national organization called Men Can Stop Rape, which works with GW, Georgetown and American universities as well as several local high school chapters, seeks to create what it calls a “bystander intervention movement.”
The group launched its efforts Jan. 31 at Georgetown, as members shared their own experiences with sexual assault and violence on campus, stressing the need for males to “take a stand” in a situation that could potentially lead to rape or violence.
“It’s not necessarily what you do, but just finding the courage to do it,” sophomore Kostantinos Skordalos, a leader of the organization’s GW affiliate said. “[It’s] being secure within your own person to actually get up and say something.”
The campaign questions masculine stereotypes, urging men to engage in nonviolent, non-confrontational intervention, particularly when the individual being harassed is female. The members describe their efforts as unique for focusing on men’s preventative roles, when they are typically the perpetrators in sexual assault cases.
“It’s not a women’s issue, it’s not a men’s issue, it’s not a gay issue, it’s not a straight issue,” sophomore Matthew Scott, a member of the group, said. “It’s an issue that affects everyone, whether you recognize it or not.”
GW’s chapter of Men of Strength met for the first time this fall. The group, which has four members, is one of five Men of Strength chapters challenging cultural norms regarding sexual assault at schools across the District.
The club coordinates with another campus organization, Students Against Sexual Assault, to develop training and educational programs.
The student leaders plan to spread the movement through widescale postering, expanding Men of Strength to reach more high schools and traveling across the country to train students about bystander invention.
Nearly two-thirds of undergraduate students across the U.S. report experiencing sexual harassment, according to statistics from the American Association of University Women.
Kedrick Griffin, senior director of programs for Men Can Stop Rape, said his role in bystander intervention began when he was in college, hanging out in bars with his classmates. He explained he and his friends had a plan: “If you’re in a situation that you need some help, just send a text message to one of us and we’ll help you out.”
He described an incident when one of his female friends texted him that she felt threatened by a man she met in a bar. Griffin found her in a crowd of men, and did not hesitate to jump in and remove her from the uncomfortable situation.
“We just said, you know, ‘excuse us for one second,’ and we made up some story and got her into the conversation, and got her away from that guy,” said Griffin.
He is now the coordinator of college and high school programs, conducting training at local and national levels.
Next week, he will travel with members of Men Can Stop Rape to Western Illinois University to conduct training for faculty, staff and students.
I am all for preventing sexual violence, and I don’t condone rape.
But based on statements like this:
“He described an incident when one of his female friends texted him that she felt threatened by a man she met in a bar. Griffin found her in a crowd of men, and did not hesitate to jump in and remove her from the uncomfortable situation.
“We just said, you know, ‘excuse us for one second,’ and we made up some story and got her into the conversation, and got her away from that guy,” said Griffin.”
they should call themselves “Operation Cock Block”.
But then again, maybe all this chivalry gets you laid anyway. White knight saves the fair maiden from her brutish suitor, puts her on his horse, and rides off to his castle for a night of passion.
Maybe this group isn’t so bad after all.
With all due respect, your comment puts on display exactly what is wrong with the contemporary mindset of most guys today. The emphasis of the story was never about “cock-blocking” anyone, but about taking the initiative to help out a friend when they felt threatened and uncomfortable in a specific situation. Hopefully if one of your female friends felt threatened by someone enough to send you a text for help, you would have the self-confidence to walk over and do something to get her out of the situation.
As I said, there is a line between flirtatious and threatening behavior. Nobody deserves to be put in a harmful situation. However, how far removed is the mindset of these men from the jerks in the bar or club that decide that they don’t like you talking to a girl that came in their group and try to embarrass you or give you shit, or worse, threaten YOU (and/or your friends)? The ones with the paternalistic view that they know better than the girl? I still maintain that a lot of that is rooted in trying to keep the ladies for themselves by occupying a fabricated “high ground”.
I still say that their motives, though beneficial in threatening situations, are not 100% pure…
I think the difference in this case is that the woman in the scenario actively sought help from her friends, who otherwise were content to let her do what she wanted. What you are attempting to do however is distort the scenario in order to devalue the work of men who choose to actively combat sexism and sexual violence. However if you would like to continue this debate, I invite you to please join us at our meeting at 7:00 Tuesday night in Thurston’s tv lounge.
And a follow up, please refrain from questioning my “motives” until you have met me. If every encounter and relationship that you have with women revolves purely around the promise of sex, I honestly feel sorry for you. Because though you wish to challenge the morality of my position and that of the fellow members of my group, I see these comments of your’s arising more from your own personal sense that your awful attitudes towards women are finally being challenged by your peers, and that it threatens you and your “manhood.” Seriously, I hope you have a nice day, but never question my MORALS or my CHARACTER, especially without having ever met me.
You shouldn’t project your attitudes on others. Most people who know me and other members of GW Men of Strength will tell you that it’s not about attracting women. I don’t see the sexual or appealing component of me helping someone who could very well be one of my sisters. It is not about sex. I would encourage you to become educated and come to a GW MOST or GW Students Against Sexual Assault meeting in order to learn something about the issues we address. You definitely have a lot of misconceptions regarding what we ACTUALLY do and what we advocate for and you are making a lot of assumptions about the guys in the organization, at GW and nationally.
There’s nothing wrong with healthy interactions. When your friend TELLS you he or she needs help, that is 100% a time to intervene.
Thank you for your opinion and I seriously hope you stop by a meeting.
Thank you for your commentary BillyMitchell, because we REALLY deserve to be forced to have sex against our will. No thank you!
Thanks, men of strength
I don’t think BillyMitchell realizes it, but what he’s essentially saying is that a man’s right to not being cockblocked (which already implies some sort of entitlement) supersedes a woman’s right to not be assaulted or made to feel threatened.
Billy Mitchell, your initial comment was simply disgusting. You seriously need to reevaluate your notions of chivalry and, above all, your character.
It’s none of your business who I love or lust after.
Hairy, it is exactly a person’s business who you love or lust after if that person feels threatened by you and your actions. No on is saying you can’t have feelings for another person. What myself and people like the Men of Strength are saying is that when those desires become intertwined with desire to exert power over another person that is where the problem lies. And in all actuality, rape and sexual assault is rarely ever about attraction, but has everything to do with power.
Konas went in!!!
There is a guy who eyes up my junk in the Thurston Hall elevator, says suggestive things to other guys and “accidentally” bumps into me sometimes.
Who do I call?
That would be sexual harassment and sexual assault. You should report that to GWPD.
For anyone interested in coming to the next meeting of Men of Strength, we will be meeting today at 6:45, in the Marvin Center!