Crowded does not equal consent

The time to explain how and why sexual assault is an issue that warrants all of the attention that it gets has long since passed. The unfortunate truth is that it is necessary to call attention to ourselves -- the student body of Tufts University -- and our own actions, and to acknowledge and address the wrongs that a number of us commit.

Being a student at Tufts, a “liberal” university full of young adults who make headlines for their protests against the administration's practices and their work as active citizens, does not imply individual righteousness or total innocence. If anything, the supposedly progressive disposition of the student body should encourage us to be hyper-aware of our actions and our roles as real-life players in the systems our community speaks out against. Unfortunately, such awareness was not evident at Spring Fling this past Saturday, April 25: many attendees complained through social media that they experienced unwanted sexual advances that seemed to come from the unavoidable crowds at the concert.

It is important to qualify this with the assurance that no act of sexual assault or unwanted sexual advance is anything less than severely wrong — and a crime — and to remember that such instances happen even in communities that are outspoken about sexual assault.  Rhetoric against sexual misconduct is not the same as adjusting one’s actions accordingly. Stating “I am against sexual assault” without actually understanding the concept of consent does not bar anyone from culpability when they act inappropriately.

The bottom line is this: Groping and other acts of inappropriate touching or sexual advances committed against peers, friends and classmates — acknowledged or not, intoxicated or sober — are not acceptable in any context. The fact that even one attendee of Saturday’s Spring Fling concert experienced unwanted sexual advances dangerously supports the power structures that suggest actions are wrongful only if they are acknowledged. Furthermore, the phenomenon in which certain privileged demographics — perhaps the educated university student who is supposedly aware of, and even actively works against, injustice — may evade blame and consequence for the injuries they commit against others must be stopped.

This situation should act as a call to hold ourselves accountable, not to seek out new policies or safety measures. We should not act as though these are anomalous occurrences in the Tufts community brought on by the uninhibited spirit of Spring Fling. This would be a shameful excuse for an issue that extends far beyond the events of one day. Instead, be aware of your own actions, act to prevent the wrongs you see occurring and NEVER act without full consent under any circumstances. Take the time to understand what is and is not consent, and if you are unsure, there are hundreds of resources on campus to inform you. The burden of stopping assault should not fall on consent educators, victims or activists. Rather, it is the responsibility of every student on campus to understand and practice consent.