TO THE EDITOR:
First of all, thank you, Sabrina Negron, for sharing your story with us. Your resilience and courage is amazing.
I also want to apologize for how helpless you felt. Though resources for survivors are advertised around campus, it’s evident from your story that these resources are not well-known enough to students like you.
This is a problem.
For everyone else: listen to Sabrina. Every single one of you more than likely knows a survivor of interpersonal violence, which includes sexual assault, abusive relationships and stalking.
If you cannot think of someone immediately, then the survivor you know probably has not told you.
This is not some abstract problem; people you care about are getting hurt. That affects all of us. This should be enough for people to do something.
If you don’t want to get involved, at least get informed. Educate yourself about possible resources and advocacy programs. Let me offer some suggestions: HAVEN, a training program that advises students how to advocate and be an ally for survivors, is a good place to start.
One Act, which focuses on intervening in potentially violent situations, is another great resource at your disposal. These trainings occur several times throughout each semester. You can register online at safe.unc.edu.
These two programs have rapidly gained recognition throughout our campus, and I encourage everyone who has heard of them or participated in them to let your voice be heard.
