Women are counseled to yell “fire” or “help” when in a threatening situation, instead of “rape,” because it elicits a better response. This tactic, in itself, reveals the societal implications and apathy of sexual crime. Sixty-eight percent of WSU students say sexual abuse – including coercion, harassment, assault and rape – are a problem today. However, it often goes undiscussed and is rarely ever reported, according to the 2006 WSU Campus Safety survey. The WSU Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Task Force has united with the Office of the President to kick off the Campus Campaign Against Sexual Assault to address these kinds of unreported crime on campus. The slogan, “Start the conversation,” is being used to create a discussion forum and raise awareness about sexual assault services. Rose Brody, a senior general studies major, said she has never been sexually assaulted. However, she said she feels as though she reads about sexual assault a lot, but because it is not a problem among her friends, they do not talk about it. “On campus I feel like I’m not around it,” Brody said. Tom Brigham, the executive assistant to President V. Lane Rawlins who is in charge of facilitating interaction between faculty and administration, said the idea for the campaign came about three years ago. Rawlins wanted to take immediate steps to make changes at WSU, such as placing more females in full-professor ranks. While examining these issues, many barriers arose, such as safety on campus. An institutional survey was conducted to find out about safety issues. These findings are the basis of the Campus Campaign Against Sexual Assault. “About 10 percent of women in our survey experienced acquaintance rape,” Brigham said. “It’s on the low end of the national data. Relatively speaking, WSU Pullman is a pretty safe campus.” Nationally, nine out of 10 women who have been raped were raped by someone they know, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

But the WSU campaign’s organizers do not want “relative” safety, they want to make changes, Brigham said.

It is noble that WSU is taking the time and resources to create a campaign to increase sexual assault awareness. The advertising campaign that kicked off in The Daily Evergreen this week is a great starting point to develop a more specific campaign about sexual violence. However, the ads are not very provocative or eye-catching – not something that could inspire enough of an emotional response to cause students to learn more. According to the WSU Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Task Force Web site: “Sexual assault ranges from unwanted touching to rape. Sexual assault occurs when a person does not, or is unable to, consent to sexual activity. ... Sexual assault may include any form of sexual conduct without consent including kissing, touching, oral sex and intercourse.” The term “sexual assault,” highlighted in the ads, is so large and all-encompassing that it even further confuses the advertising campaign’s point. It is necessary to define and target specific audiences – such as sexual assault victims, men or the Greek community – to truly engage the campus to want to make change. Acquaintance rape and consent are what the campaign is “specifically targeting,” Brigham said. “[They] are the core of the problem because they have the most severe consequences for the victim.” Because acquaintance rape and consent are the key issues, these words should just be said – put out there and not hidden behind an umbrella term that obfuscates the real issue.

Even the public relations coordinator for the project said this kind of issue is extremely complicated.

“It’s not as cut-and-dry as you may think,” said Paula Adams with WSU Health and Wellness Services. “Nobody wants to talk about it. It’s happening on our campus. People are getting raped.” The campaign is bringing the issue out in the open, on campus and in society, she said. “It’s so important, we can’t keep ignoring it,” Adams said.

This campaign to address sexual assault is just the beginning of an annual effort the group is hoping to start, she said.

The campaign has definitely got me talking about sexual assault. But if the university is trying to “start the conversation,” it just needs to say it. Say the word “rape.”