The dialogue initiated by Tuesday's viewpoint by James Dickson (Don't be afraid to challenge feminism, 03/06/07) revealed widespread fictions surrounding sexual violence. What has been lost in this rather abstract dialogue is the individual who feels threatened in this community or who has experienced sexual violence. It is important to prioritize the varied physical, emotional and social harms of sexual violence.

Individuals may be physically injured, contract sexually transmitted diseases, develop eating disorders and suffer from chronic fatigue. A survivor of sexual assault may endure anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, shame and vulnerability. Some of the many social effects of sexual violence include difficulty with intimacy, disruption in sexual relations, loss of trust in self and others as well as withdrawal.

Of the attitudes revealed by the ill-informed claims made in Dickson's viewpoint, the most dangerous were those that foster false assumptions like: sexual violence does not occur in our communities, women often falsely accuse men of sexual assault, sexual violence is inevitable and sexism is unrelated to sexual assault. As a community of educated individuals, it is vital that we acknowledge the sensitivity of this issue and the damage perpetuating myths about sexual violence can inflict on survivors of sexual assault. Beyond the pain faced by the individual, sexual violence is a gross injustice that tears at the fabric of our purportedly equal community.

The F-Word's Michigan Against Sexual Violence campaign combats the pervasive problem of sexual assault against students at the University. The impetus for our campaign is the chronic underreporting of incidents, the lack of education about the nature of sexual assault and the dangerous myths surrounding the complex issue of sexual violence. The 100 students who contacted the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center for resources and support from September 2005 to August 2006 underscore the undeniable reality of sexual violence at the University. This statistic, however, does not address the underreported nature of sexual violence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in five rapes experienced by women are reported.

Underreporting is a result of multiple factors, including fear of retribution, an unsupportive legal system, a culture that blames and shames victims of sexual violence and victims' feelings of being exposed by legal procedures. Some important statistics cited by the CDC are that 78 percent of victims are women, 80 percent of incidents are perpetrated by acquaintances and that the vast majority of sexual assaults against both men and women are perpetrated by men. The pervasiveness and nature of sexual violence exposed by the statistics above demonstrate we do not live in a society where rape is reviled and where perpetrators are punished - at least not yet.

The Michigan Against Sexual Violence campaign has three parts: education, prevention and awareness. To educate the community and raise awareness, we have been distributing information about sexual violence and resources for individuals who have experienced sexual violence. Working toward prevention, we have distributed cards with important contacts for free rides home for students who may feel unsafe and uncomfortable walking alone. These cards are a form of risk reduction for sexual violence that is perpetrated by strangers, but they do not help prevent acquaintance rape - the most common type of sexual assault.

Since the inception of the campaign, we have distributed hundreds of white ribbons free of charge (contrary to Dickson's claim) and will continue to do so. The white ribbon is a pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about sexual violence. The visibility of the white ribbon on coat jackets and backpacks serves to remind the individual and the community that sexual violence is an issue that we must actively commit to end. This commitment is not necessarily an easy one.

We cannot eliminate sexual violence without putting an end to the sexist belief that consent is not essential for sexual relations. The flyers Dickson criticized attempt to encourage questioning sexist actions and attitudes (including sexually exploitative comments). The flyers provoke introspection not "thought-policing."

The feminism which Dickson claims to have created a climate of fear, is the same movement that made it possible for women to obtain an education at the University that pioneered the fight against domestic violence and sexual harassment. It is the same movement that provides essential services like domestic violence shelters and reproductive health centers. The climate of fear is not a result of feminism but of a sexist environment in which women's experiences of sexual violence are often minimized or denied.