LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 
Every year hundreds of thousands of college students leave behind the last gasp of winter to head for a week of temperatures in the 80s, oceanfront hotels, sterling white beaches, bikini contests, booze cruises, frothy foam parties, nightclubs, free alcohol, and multiple hook ups.
Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR), a Washington, DC-based organization, is calling for college men across the country to play a positive role in making spring break safe for everyone, men as well as women.
A 2005 UPI news article suggests that the week-long vacation from classes can create a combustible climate leading to sexual violence. According to the article, the number of sexual assaults reported during spring break in Daytona Beach — a hot spot for students during their break — has doubled since 2004, and many involved alcohol.
Traditionally, messages about preventing sexual assault have targeted women. The UPI article reports, for example, that police in Daytona were “urging women to travel in pairs.”
Men Can Stop Rape, a national leader in the movement to engage young men in ending violence against women, targets young men with positive prevention messages. Patrick Lemmon, MCSR’s executive director who has spoken on college campuses across the country, said about MCSR’s work, “Many people think that what we do is counter-intuitive because too often people view rape as only a women’s issue. We’re encouraging young men to do their part in preventing an act that has grave consequences for both parties. We know that young men respond well if they’re provided with opportunities to be allies rather than simply labeled as part of the problem.”
According to MCSR, while the majority of young men do not perpetrate sexual violence, all men can play a positive role in preventing rape. Based on its successful approach to engaging young men in rape prevention programs, the organization puts forth the following recommendations for all young men this spring break:
Be a role model – Don’t participate in any behavior that degrades women such as catcalling, groping, or taunting.
Define your own manhood – Consider whether messages about manhood, like “never take no for an answer,” play a role in creating unhealthy and unsafe relationships. Decide for yourself what kind of man you want to be.
Understand the ability to consent – Alcohol and drugs can affect people’s ability to decide whether they want to be sexual with someone. If a person is drunk or high and can’t give consent, back off and wait until you both are ready to enthusiastically say yes.
Be a friend – You’ve heard of designated drivers. Use the same principle in connection with rape. Designate someone among your group of friends to keep an eye on alcohol intake and whether anyone might be slipping into sexual assault behavior.
Speak up – You probably will never see a rape in progress, but you will hear attitudes and see behaviors that degrade women and promote a culture of violence. If your friends are groping, harassing, or taunting women on the beach, at a party, or elsewhere, speak out. Saying something can make a difference.
Talk it over – Better communication in sexual situations-listening to the other person, stating desires clearly, and asking when a situation is unclear-will make relationships safer and healthier. Create a space to speak honestly about sex.
Show your strength – Always remember, you can be strong without being violent. Use your strength to value and build others up, not tear them down.
If college men embrace their capacity to play a vital role as allies with women and girls in creating a supportive environment for healthy, nonviolent relationships, spring break will be a week of hot, sexy, and safe partying — for women and for men.