UA and Fayetteville community members came together Thursday evening to bring awareness of campus sexual assault and show solidarity to survivors of sexual violence during the 19th annual UA Take Back the Night event.Â
The event, a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, has taken the form of a march since 2002. After a virtual rally in 2020, this yearâs event was presented as a gathering at the Arkansas Chi Omega Greek Theatre. Speakers included members of the community and survivors of sexual violence, who advocated for rape culture awareness and societal change.
The event fell the same day that hundreds of students and alumni took to social media to condemn UA administrators and share stories of negative experiences with the Title IX office in response to the news of a $20,000 settlement paid to a former student. The student had accused the university of mishandling a 2017 sexual assault allegation after a Title IX panel found him responsible for the assault. The Graduat
Members of campus groups organized various events as part of the âhealing and supportâ week of Sexual Assault Awareness Month Monday-Friday, including a yoga class and supportive letter-writing session. Â
Six rapes have been reported on campus since the start of the Spring 2021 semester. University officials sent an email about sexual violence to the UA community in February, which sparked accusations from students of victim-blaming rhetoric. Among U.S. undergraduates, 26.4% of females and and 6.8% of males have been victims of rape or sexual assault, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.Â
Several events, sponsored by University Programs, including a survivor care kit donation drive, took place at the Anne Kittrell Art Gallery in the Arkansas Union last week. On Thursday, University Programs members hosted a session for participants to write letters of support to sexual assault survivors. Â
An email sent by university officials Feb. 17 in response to a spike in campus rapes reports has sparked controversy and accusations of victim-blaming.