As a generation heavily influenced by mainstream media culture, we are trained to think of rape as an inherently violent act. It's supposed to involve screaming, pleading with the perpetrator and tears. But this is not the reality of many cases of rape, particularly on college campuses. More often than not, rape occurs when intoxicated partners are unable to give consent. While we are all told as freshmen and throughout our time at Dartmouth that inebriation precludes the ability to give consent, who among us really takes that idea seriously?
I know I haven't. And I know many others, both male and female, who haven't either. On a campus where many identify as people-pleasers, saying no is difficult under the best of circumstances, and inebriation doesn't make it any easier.
While it is convenient to blame external factors the hook-up culture, the Greek system and generally easy access to alcohol the problem actually goes deeper, to the root of how we approach the idea of consent itself. Simply being able to get the word "yes" out of one's mouth doesn't mean an individual is capable of truly giving consent. Given that 90 percent of reported college campus rapes involve alcohol use by the assailant, the victim or both, we need to truly internalize and affirm through our actions rather than just words the fact that drunk sex is, by definition, non-consensual sex.
Too often, I have seen drunk men and women leaving basements together when neither party is fit to make rational decisions. While we generally accept that it's unacceptable for a sober person to have sex with a drunk or passed-out partner, fewer people agree that sex between two equally drunk partners is also problematic. The argument goes, "Well, if we were both drunk, then how can you identify a perpetrator and a victim?" While identifying a victim and a perpetrator may be difficult in these cases, it is not difficult to acknowledge that inebriation precludes rational decision-making and, therefore, nullifies the ability for participants to mutually consent to sex.
Prevailing dialogues about drunken hook-ups are often not only crass but also directly undermine the confidence of those who might otherwise speak out against the practice. Jokes about girls "crying rape" as an excuse after a bad hook-up and complaints about the supposed illegitimacy of the "sexual assault industry" only make it harder to speak out. I have personally overheard and been in conversations in which participants have complained about the College's "overeagerness" to characterize situations as rape, with the implication that those who do come forward are making mountains out of molehills. This belittlement of those who question the validity of inebriated consent is inexcusable. Those who come forward questioning whether or not they had given consent in a situation should feel safe expressing those doubts without fear of scorn by others.
It's also time to step away from or at least stop relying solely upon well-meaning but often recrimination-tainted exhortations that those who want to prevent sexual assault should encourage people to "take responsibility for their actions" by simply drinking more responsibly or sticking with friends when out. These practices, while helpful, are not sufficient on their own. The subtle blame that these rhetorical practices embody does more harm than good by causing people to question whether drunkenness can excuse an incident.
Although dialogues about risk-reducing behaviors are necessary and useful, it's also important for us as a community to recognize that bad things can happen to anyone, and that these events do not change an individual's identity as our friend, classmate or loved one. Rather than question why victims didn't make different, and perhaps better, decisions like drinking less it is much more productive for us to simply offer victims our unconditional support. Blaming victims after the fact is both harmful to those who do come forward with their stories, as well as discouraging to those who are already deterred from speaking out.
Ultimately, a collective realization of the negative interaction between alcohol and consent is key to changing behavior and preventing sexual assault. As a Dartmouth student, a woman and, most importantly, a believer in freely given consent, I urge you, my fellow students, to be more aware of the negative correlation between inebriation and consent.
