In a public service announcement released by the White House on August 29 of last year, Vice President Joe Biden spoke about sexual assault, saying: “We need all of you to be part of the solution. This is about respect, it’s about responsibility.”

One year later, students from St. Paul’s School, a boarding school in New Hampshire, testified against 18-year-old Owen Labrie, stating that he had previously told them about sex he had with the 15-year-old accusing him of rape. The survivor testified last week that she said “no” to sex three times. Fundamentally, this case boils down to one basic question: Did Labrie know that she was unwilling to have sex?

Surprisingly, the issue of consent usually takes a back seat in rape cases. In fact, had Labrie’s trial happened elsewhere, he probably would not face felony charges since most states require showing force was involved to prove rape, not lack of consent.

Labrie’s case highlights the need for a shift in focus in both policies and cultural attitudes about consent, starting on college campuses. The idea that rape must necessarily include force is wildly problematic. It sends the message to victims that, like their offenders, the courts do not care if they said no. It tells rapists that so long as they leave no marks, sex with an unwilling person is just kosher. We need to look at sexual assault in a new way, emphasizing consent, not force.

Luckily, New Hampshire is among the minority of states that has emerged from the dark ages, including New York under Gov. Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” initiative. Since 1995, the language of New Hampshire’s policy classifies rape as lack of consent “by speech or conduct,” taking the emphasis off of force.

In the same way, consent is a hot topic on college campuses, too. This is no surprise given that 80 percent of rape victims are under the age of 30. Many colleges, for example, have supported the “yes means yes” campaign which promotes active agreement before sex, and have provided resources and education to protect students from sexual assault.

Most college students are aware that rape is not always violent or dramatic, just unwanted. It is not rare for a college student to wake up and think, “Hmm, nope. Last night was not totally consensual.” Though perhaps not earth-shattering, it is always wrong. Rape between college students flies under the radar because it happens between acquaintances or often involves alcohol. It so often does not leave physical traces, ruin lives or break spirits. It may not beg to be reported, but it needs to stop being ignored.

We need a culture utterly disgusted by rape. Society should shackle rapists with shame. They should be reframed as weak and creepy, not intimidating and wrongly accused. Society could benefit from an entire cultural movement against people who whine “why” after hearing “no.”

The most powerful messages are sent person-to-person, not through policies. Should victims choose not to report violations, they should still be encouraged to be bold about being disrespected and holding offenders accountable – to call them a rapist to their face, to embarrass them by telling their friends and to be forward in calling out their attacker.

Alison Gala is a senior public relations major and Spanish minor. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at aegala@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @alison_gala.

Published on September 7, 2015 at 11:53 pm