I'm Not the Only One Review

Women are constantly targets for sexual predators, especially on college campuses. Oftentimes, the most less likely situations lead to the unthinkable. Hannah Price was a first year student at the University of Bristol when she was sexually assaulted by a man whom she thought was her friend. She recounts her experiences in a short story entitled “I Was Raped As a Student-- and I’m Not the Only One.”

It was the beginning of the school year and it was the first social event of the semester. With syllabus week coming to an end, she headed to some bars, let loose and had a fun time with new friends. As the night came to a close, it was time for Price to figure out how she was getting home. As a woman, you are constantly being told to be aware of your surroundings and alert at all times. She states in the recounting of her story “I... remember being told not to walk home on my own, or I'd risk being raped by a stranger in a dark alley.” A new friend of Prices’ offered to walk her home and she gladly accepted, again to avoid the sad truth that someone could be waiting for the moment to take advantage of a young college woman, walking alone after a long night on the town. She thought she was being safe.

When her and her friend got back to her apartment he simply asked for “a glass of water because he was feeling unwell.” After he finished his water, he demanded Price go to her bedroom. Caught off guard, she immediately exclaimed no. However it did not stop. Her so-called friend took advantage of her in her own living room. “No” wasn’t enough to stop the unthinkable to happen. Price states “to this day, it still strikes me how a charming disguise can so quickly disperse, and turn into aggression.” People seeking to take advantage of others put on a facade to easily attract their victims.

One particular part of Hannah’s story stood out to me. She discusses how in school she was never truly “taught about consent...other than “no means no.”” That is where the problem originates. I can attest to never being taught in depth about consent and what it really means in grade school. Women and especially men need to be educated more on the topic of consent and simply right from wrong. It is never too late to learn. With that, women’s center on college campuses offer so many resources to educate students on sexual violence and female empowerment to make a more safe and respectable environment for all students alike. They can be a leading cause of some much needed change.

Word Count: 454

“'I Was Raped as a Student - and I'm Not the Only One'.” BBC News, BBC, 6 Mar. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/stories-43258170.