Interview

Problem: Violence Against Women (Within the United States and India)

First name of the person you interviewed and/or their title in the community:

Shelby; University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Student

Tell the person about the problem you are studying. Then ask the following questions:
Is this a problem you think is important?  Why/ Why not?

I definitely think this is an incredibly important topic, not just in other countries like we’ve been seeing in the news lately, but in our own country as well. After reading what happened in India back in December, it’s sad that something like that had to happen for people to rethink laws and morals, but in a way you could say that what happened there is having people in our own country rethink their own values and what they think is important. It’s crazy to think that it’s already 2013, and although we have come so far technologically and socially from even fifty years ago, we’re still not quite there yet.

Do you think others in our community think it is an important problem? Why/ why not?

Honestly, this sounds terrible, but it really depends who you talk to. I don’t know about Salem, but in Dartmouth it seems like not many students even realize what is going on sadly. I think those who do know think it’s an important problem from what I can tell, but like I said, it all depends on who you talk to.

What policy, if any, does the government now have to deal with this problem?

I know there are many protests still going on in India about the bus incident that happened over there, but in our own country the Violence Against Women Act has been front and center in the news. Basically, what I gather is that the VAWA (now recently passed) will take sexual assault as a more serious crime. There also has been so much controversy over this, and over women’s health in general in congress, so this being passes is a pretty big deal.

What are advantages of this policy?

From what I understand, it will help protect rape and sexual assault victims and will also crack down on and spend more resources to prosecute those convicted of these crimes.

What are disadvantages of this policy?

The more I read about the VAWA the more I saw that it is really gearing more towards convicting those who commit the crimes.

How might the policy be improved?

Well, is we’re spending so much money in convicting these criminals, how are we ever going to have the time to really get it in the minds of the community that rape and assault in general of any kind is just unacceptable? As a college-aged woman myself, I feel like I am always being told how to prevent myself from being attacked, whereas guys aren’t really being told not to…I was actually on a website the other day that had a picture that said something along the lines of “If we go on the assumption that women have to prevent themselves from being raped, is it safe to assume that all men are potential rapists?” It just really struck me since you always hear how to prevent yourself from being raped or attacked, but at the same time what happened to teaching men not to attack us? It’s a curious double standard. So what I’m basically saying, with this bill, I wish it could also include more awareness for not just women, but men too, because they can also be victims of sexual assault.

Does the policy need to be replaced?  Why?

As I said earlier, it can definitely be improved, but I don’t think we have to go as far as replacing the whole thing. It definitely is a breakthrough of our own generation and eventually, like most things, it probably will be replaced, but for the time being it’s definitely progress.

What disagreements, if any, about the policy exist in this community?

Within our community, I haven’t heard any real disagreements with the policy itself. The most disagreement I’ve heard is just how to go about preventing situations like this from occurring, and of course watching the debates congress has on the matter.

Where can I get more information about this problem and the different positions people take on this problem?

Well, it’s still pretty active in the news on television and in newspapers, but with most college students the place to go for news and information is definitely the internet. It really depends where you go though, as some sites aren’t going to be as reliable as others.

Reflection: 

Although I knew the person I was interviewing is fairly aware of things that go on in the news world, it was really interesting to hear that even at other college campuses, the topic isn't widely discussed. Unless, of course, it is informing female students how to protect themselves. As I may have figured, while discussing this topic with my interviewee, it really is an uncomfortable topic to discuss, even female to female. 
-Kathy Farias