Heals, a new student organization aimed to raise awareness about sexual violence, will make its debut on the University of Memphis campus this fall.
The organization plans to act as a resource for student victims of sexual assault. Heals will be a safe haven that provides knowledge and helps raise the volume of victims’ voices across campus by encouraging them to speak freely about their experiences.
“We hope to properly educate young adults by providing accurate information such as what is sexual assault, how to protect oneself and how to help yourself or others who have been affected by sexual violence,“ Heals president Tori Hill said. “We hope to be the voice for survivors who feel they have no voice. By educating people about sexual violence, we will be the voice for sexual assault to the community. We hope to empower men, women and survivors to make a difference by speaking out and standing against all sexual violence.”
According to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 20 percent of women and five percent of men reported being sexually assaulted. Only three-fourths of all victims said they told someone about the incident, and only 11 percent told police or college authorities. Similarly, five percent of women on college campuses experience rape or attempted rape every year, according to the American College Health Association.
“People raise awareness about everything else, why not raise awareness about sexual assault?” Hill said. “I knew from prior statistics that women are more likely to experience sexual assault than men. I wanted this organization to be something that helped female survivors heal from their experience, but also regain their confidence and empower themselves. I know from personal experience that sexual assault can be devastating to a person’s confidence.”
One out of every 33 American men has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in his lifetime, according to the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit.
“Although we were organized with women in mind, we will still act as a resource, support and reference center for males who have experienced sexual assault as well,” Hill said. “I believe that men and women must work together in order to make a social change, which is something Heals is striving to do. Heals will make men feel included by informing them sexual assault is not a women’s problem nor a specific problem, it is our problem. Men and women need to work together to fix this.”
Although Heals is a new organization, it already has a full executive board and 15 active members. The organization plans to start promoting actively on campus as soon as classes begin.
“We plan to be tremendously active on the first few weeks of school by holding interest meetings and multiple information tables near the University Center throughout the semester,” Hill said. “We plan to build awareness about sexual assault by hosting information tables with interactive games and activities. The information tables will include facts and statistics on sexual violence, clear definition of consent and general knowledge about sexual violence.”
Overall, Heals’ goals are to bring awareness about sexual assault to the U of M campus, and to educate and support students who have been affected.
“This organization plans to make a difference on both campus and the community, as well as change the way men and women think about sexual violence,” Heals treasurer Keenan Mosley said. “We want to educate men and women about ways to prevent sexual assault.”
