by Anonymous
Content warning: sexual violence
Unfortunately, like most universities, Penn has a poor record of supporting survivors of sexual assault. The resources intended to support survivors are often understaffed and struggle to function under the constraints of Penn’s rules. The many Greek houses that line Locust Walk make walking through campus a distressing experience for survivors, and it means that at most parties they are looking over their shoulders (see: Greek Life). When individuals do try to hold perpetrators of harm accountable, they are often left retraumatized and unsatisfied.
Part of the difficulty of centering survivors comes from the national restrictions of a constantly changing Title IX policy. Title IX aims to prevent sex-based discrimination, but since it is a federal statute implemented by the U.S. Department of Education, the way it is enforced often shifts under each U.S. presidency. Penn’s current Title IX officer, Michele Rovinsky-Mayer, is a lawyer first and foremost. It is her job to ensure that perpetrators of violence are innocent until proven guilty. If they have been found guilty, punishments within the Penn system are lackluster at most—survivors are lucky if the person who harmed them is prohibited from being in the same common spaces as them or if their classes are moved around so they can avoid the perpetrator. In recent years, the Penn Association for Gender Equity (PAGE) board attempted to make the form to report misconduct less triggering and easier to navigate. Meetings with Rovinsky-Mayer proved futile, and the form remains mostly unchanged. With all of this background, it is no wonder survivors (especially students of marginalized communities) find it extremely difficult and disheartening to report instances of sexual violence.
Beyond the intricacies of Title IX as a national mandate, many facets of our college perpetuate rape culture. Most of Penn’s Greek life is dominated by fraternities that have a long history of getting away with all types of violence. In 2020, fraternity members at the Interfraternity Council (IFC) meeting discussed rebranding their “sexual assault image” and then promptly moved on to debating beer pong policies. According to the 2019 Association of American Universities (AAU) Campus Climate survey, fraternities are the second most common location of sexual assault (the first being dormitories). Psi Upsilon, otherwise known as Castle, is a saddening example of evading accountability. In 1990, they were expelled from their “castle” on Locust right behind the love sign after kidnapping and assaulting a student. Ten years later they returned to campus. Then just last year, another student was beaten up at Castle under what some say was a racially motivated attack. After this most recent incident, student protests lasted a week but no changes or demands were met.
There are individuals, groups, and resources working to make campus safer and more supportive of survivors, but they are fighting an uphill battle. Groups like the Coalition Against Fraternity Sexual Assault (CAFSA) and Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) educate the community about sexual violence and advocate for survivors either through protests and/or meetings with the administration. CAFSA experienced threats and toxicity when it was first created in 2019 and has since been understaffed. ASAP struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic and is now having to start with completely new foundations. VDAY’s Penn Monologues, formerly Vagina Monologues, stopped existing altogether. All in all, there are not enough people standing up for survivors at Penn to keep these groups productive and thriving without leaving students burnt out.
There is a similar problem at Penn Violence Prevention (PVP), the student resource center intended to “engage the Penn community in the prevention of sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment on campus.” PVP (and Penn student resource centers in general) are known for frequent staff turnover, arguably because of the lack of support, they receive from the university. According to a Penn Anti-Violence Educator (PAVE students employed by the University to give bystander intervention trainings to student groups), training has been “disorganized and disheartening.”
“With so many staff members leaving and being replaced in recent years, it is hard to have faith in the system,” they continued. However, the fault is not with individual PAVE members for quitting but rather the University that stretches the staff too thin as it is.
“In 2019 we kind of made Consent Circles for incoming Freshmen mandatory. Although that was an overall win, Penn administrators wanted us to educate an entire incoming class with the same number of trained educators,” the PAVE member said.
The Restorative Practices at Penn (RP@P) office aims to “promote healing, accountability, and community building.” As an extension of that mission, they attempt to circumvent cancel culture while also centering survivors. Unfortunately, although their intention is noble, some say the office is still too new to function effectively. None of this is to say PVP and RP@P are not helpful. Many students go to them for support and leave feeling heard and validated. The conditions at PVP and RP@P are a reflection of the conditions of most student resources at Penn: they are doing their best, but the University does not give them enough assistance to fix chronic problems such as understaffing, which in turn means they cannot provide consistent, helpful support for the number of students that need it (see: Confidential Resources).
It is difficult to be a survivor, not just at Penn, but in society more broadly. Penn is simply a microcosm of that reality. Groups like CAFSA and ASAP need more student support. Resources like PVP and RP@P need more financial and institutional support in order to improve the environment for survivors. Penn must prioritize survivors and minority students instead of money and image. Greek life needs to face actual accountability.
It is OK to feel disheartened by all of this, but there are ways to support survivors on an individual level. Statistically, it is very likely someone close to you will experience sexual violence during their time at Penn, and the AAU survey states that Penn students will most likely confide in a friend first, before a resource. We sincerely hope no one goes through this pain, but if a friend of yours does, here are some tips on how to provide support:
- Remind the survivor it is not their fault.
- Validate any emotions the survivor is having, even if they are feeling nothing or many things at once.
- Do not rush survivors into seeking help but remind them it is available whenever they are ready. There are many resources at Penn and in Philly for survivors depending on what kind of support they want (see: Resource Guide).
- Remind the survivor you will be there for them regardless.
Finally, remember to take care of yourself as well. Supporting friends through trauma can be draining and hard. All of these resources are available for you as well.
Penn Disorientation Guide 