WAVES promotes interdisciplinary panel as part of Turn Off the Violence Week

Legacy of Rape Panel will teach students the truths about rape at Nov. 4 event (photo courtesy of George Mason University).

As part of Turn Off the Violence Week, sponsored by Wellness, Alcohol, Violence and Educational Services and Mason’s Counseling and Psychological Services, the faculty at the Center for the Study of Gender and Conflict on the Arlington campus promotes the Legacy of Rape panel event as an informative way to teach students about rape.

“The Legacy of Rape panel is an interdisciplinary panel which will highlight the ways sexual violence and sexually armed conflict is similar. We want to give voice to people who have been raped and highlight the fact that this happens around the world,” said Elizabeth Mount, psychologist and executive director of the CSGC at the Arlington campus.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines rape as, “a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person’s consent.” It also states that approximately two-third of rapes are committed by someone known to the victim and 38 percent of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.

While many students said that women were more likely to be victims of rape compared to males, no one was able to give a definitive reason.

“It is important that both [male] and female students attend this panel because despite popular belief, rape and sexual assault has less to do with your sexual orientation and more to do with one person wanting to feel powerful over the other person in the relationship,” Mount said.

The key speakers on this panel will include representatives from the United Nations, Amnesty International and author Sandra Cheldelin. Her novel, “Woman Waging War and Peace,” is about the history of rape in the United States. As of Oct. 10, the exact number of panel members is still being finalized.

The Legacy of Rape panel was rescheduled from Wednesday, Oct.9, and will now take place on Nov. 4 at the Arlington campus.