Identifying sexual assault at Boston University has intensified over the past few weeks. However, pointing out flaws in how BU deals with assault can only suffice for so long. Sooner rather than later, pointing fingers to the administration or to “rape culture” perpetuated on campus is futile. Thankfully, more tangible change seems to be in progress. According to an article published by The Daily Free Press today, a proposal for a Rape Crisis Center on campus is circulating from BU’s Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism. Since the proposal became public on Monday, more than 500 people have signed a petition to make this plan a reality.
Being on an urban campus and considering the sudden influx in attention sexual assault has received, some form of permanent assistance is crucial. However, establishing an independent crisis center that will adequately cope with the sensitivity of these patients is challenging. Before we enter into this proposal in urgency due to the current social climate, it would be wise to take a moment to consider what existing services could be improved. The proposed center would attempt to procure professional staff to deal with crisis counseling and support, as well as run educational programs to draw further awareness to the issue. While these are admirable goals, logistical concerns will arise. The center would have to ensure staff members were available around the clock, including weekends, and victims’ privacy would have to be protected at all times.
A more feasible proposal would be increased cooperation with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. If we had a thorough review of Student Health Services when dealing with sexual assault and properly considered collaboration with BARCC, BU would be able to meet students’ needs without introducing an entirely new proposal that could take much more time and planning to equip for the future. Establishing a center independent of SHS seems counterproductive; if we already have medical expertise on campus, we should aim to better those services. Having an educational component through CGSA could be an idea to pursue in the future, but in order to eradicate inefficiency and insensitivity toward sexual assault, a faster solution is in order.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
