JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team hosted two separate educational opportunities called “We End Violence” on April 23.
Guest speaker Jeffrey Bucholtz, director of We End Violence, opened the session by asking the controversial question, “What causes rape?”
“Some individuals say it is a choice, others may say alcohol or a lack of self-control are possible reasons,” Bucholtz said. “The answer is not simple. There are a lot of things contributing to any sexual assault. Of course, it is a choice made by the perpetrators, and alcohol and a lack of self-control may play a part, but it’s irresponsible for anyone to think the rapist just lives in a vacuum and all of a sudden decides to commit rape.”
“We live in a culture buying into violence all of the time … we often see it come through the entertainment we choose to watch or listen to,” Bucholtz said. “For example, if we step back and pay attention to the lyrics in the music we listen to, the messaging in media or advertisements, and the social norms or biases that go unchecked, we could see these things reinforce violent behavior.”
Although the norm right now is considered to be one where harassment and sexualized violence is happening, it doesn’t have to be this way.
“For us to arrive at a new normal, we need three things to happen,” Bucholtz said. “The first thing everyone must do is hold perpetrators accountable. This doesn’t just mean legally, but also in social circles. If harassing behaviors are addressed right away, it would cause the harasser or rapist to be ostracized and most likely prevent some of these acts from occurring. The next thing we need to have happen is for individuals to shine a light on what occurs, which means victims have to come forward. To have this come about, we need to create spaces in which victims will come forward. The last piece connects the other two – it is the need to improve community understanding. It is our job to make people see the value in being an agent for change.”
A safe community is an attainable goal, he said, but it requires a commitment from all.
“Prevention awareness is a constant endeavor for which we need all the help we can get,” said Darmaly Williams, JBER SAPR director. “In order to advance our efforts, it is important to emphasize this problem affects everybody, whether they have been directly affected or not. We are all connected in some way.”
The JBER SAPR team aims to promote bystander intervention so community members will assist and spread awareness to prevent violence when given the opportunity, Williams said.
Educational opportunities like this are available throughout the year depending on speaker availability. They are meant to help participants comprehend victims' experiences, thus fostering understanding, empathy, and positive action toward prevention and appropriate response.
“One of our efforts is to continue reaching out to let our community know we are here for them,” Williams said. “We also aim to join forces with community members to help them understand what a complex problem sexualized violence is and how it affects all of us. There is strength in numbers and we want to enlist everybody's help to foster a safe community that embraces each member as a valuable asset deserving of respect.”