New Steubenville rape pictures and details have emerged–and they’re so scary. | Source: Shutterstock

As if the Ohio football team rape case couldn’t get any more horrifying, there’s more: Steubenville rape pictures were taken at the time, and they’ve made their way online.

You may remember last week when the Anonymous hackers group posted a video of some sadistic guys bragging about the brutal gang rape of an unconscious 16-year-old girl. The whole thing is sick, twisted, and super disturbing. But the only silver lining here is that these idiots who were so proud of the atrocity that they committed were also stupid enough to document it–and it’s what wound up getting some of them caught. (Like the Justin Bieber pot pics, only, you know, super harmful.)

Now, cell phone photos indicate that there may be two more victims of the Steubenville rape epidemic.

A football teammate of Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays–the guys being charged with the rape of the first victim–had photos of two other girls on his phone in various states of consciousness and undress. They’re lying face down on the same carpet that the photos of the first victim showed. Uh, what is wrong with these people?

The only reason the pigs that recorded this aren’t being charged with it is because some of them were smart enough to erase the photos before cops confiscated their phones for the investigation.

More details about the rape that got everyone talking are emerging, too, and they’re horrifying. Seriously, read on at your own risk:

Apparently, following a football win, the guys were eating at a friend’s house together when they started texting people to come party. The rape victim was one of them, and she was supposedly friends with some of the guys–a few of whom were said to have dated her, so you’d think they’d have more consideration or respect for her, her safety, her well-being, her humanity. Nope.

There were multiple parties that night, and in testimony, people said they saw her drinking from a cup at the first party–and that’s it. When she got to the second party, she wasn’t coherent and needed help walking. Who helped her? Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond, who were the same guys who allegedly raped her. Chances are she was so out of it that their help standing made her feel safe enough around them to let her guard down–that’s if she was even coherent enough to make that kind of a decision.

The victim threw up in the street, then left that party with Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond–who assaulted her in the car ride on the way to the next party. By this time, a witness who recorded the incident–and then deleted it–said she was talking, but no one could understand what she was saying. At the third party, she was completely silent. At one point, two of the guys held her by the wrists and ankles and led her into the basement. Once in the basement, she threw up again, then sat on the floor and fell to her side.

Shortly after that, a witness came into the basement and said she was on her stomach naked on the floor.

Ma’lik raped her while Trent tried shaking her shoulders to wake her up, and she was totally unresponsive.

Someone sent a photo of the girl to her mom’s phone–and then her parents took her to the hospital and to the police. Okay, can you just imagine for a second what that had to have been like? For her? For her mom?

No one’s sure what was in the cup at the first party, and too much time passed between the assault and when she reported it to run a toxicology test to see if she’d been drugged–though it sure sounds like she was, because it’s very, very hard to get blackout drunk and sick from one beverage unless it’s laced with someone a lot more sinister. What’s more, the victim showered–which got rid of physical and DNA evidence.

This is not the victim’s fault. She didn’t even know what happened to her. She had no recollection of anything after the first party. Chances are, she’s learning the details as quickly as the police and courts are. And even if she did remember and chose to shower and not report it? That doesn’t mean the rape is her fault. Ever.

The only people at fault for the Steubenville rape are the Steubenville rapists–and the disgusting excuses for human beings who recorded the incident instead of intervening and helping the victim. The very least they could have done was retain the evidence, accept responsibility and help bring these other monsters to justice. Our thoughts are with the victims, and may these atrocities be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They’ve earned it.

What do you think is an appropriate punishment for the Steubenville rapists? How do you think more rapes like the Steubenville gang rape can be prevented? Tell us in the comments.

This girl almost got raped. Read her story.

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The “Top Ten Ways To Get Away With Rape” puts a ton of blame on the victims. | Source: ShutterStock

A flier, aptly and horrifyingly titled “Top Ten Ways To Get Away With Rape” recently circulated in one of the university’s dorms. This isn’t something you’ll hear David Letterman chuckling about, either. The fact that a list like this exists is terrifying enough, but some specific tips were really scary: The list suggests sneaking through unlocked windows and raping women to “teach them not to do it again” (because, obviously, you were asking for it and need to learn), putting drugs in your drinks, taking advantage of the fact that you’re alone, and that “practice makes perfect.” (You can read the rest of this scary stuff here!)

Miami University called a mandatory meeting for male students once the flier was found, and whoever distributed and wrote it is liable for legal and disciplinary action–but some students think the school isn’t doing enough to investigate and deal with the problem.

Apparently Miami U. never told the student body what happened and attempted to sweep the allegations under the rug while they investigated the rape flier origins. That’s never a good thing: Whoever was insane enough to write something like this needs to know that their behavior and attitudes won’t be tolerated, and the women on campus need to know what they’re up against. Because even if the list of rape tips was written as a joke (and a painfully unfunny one at that), there will inevitably be some idiot who takes it seriously and abides by it–and that puts us all in danger.

Women Against Violence and Sexual Assault (WAVE) vice president and Miami University student Kate Von Fossen is taking the school to task for not notifying students of the rape tip list. “It could have been a joke, but the fact of the matter is that those thoughts are crossing someone’s mind. There are girls living in a hall where someone came up with that,” she said. “It’s just disturbing.” She’s right!

It’s even scarier when you consider numbers: 27 sexual assaults were reported on the Oxford campus of Miami University between 2009 and 2011, and 19 of those incidents allegedly went down within dorms. Keep in mind, these are only the reported incidents–a ton of sexual assault and rape cases are never reported, so there are likely plenty more than we know about.

For their part, the University says that the incident appears to be confined to one section of dorms, McBride Hall, and that they’re addressing the issue and taking investigative action. But if knowledge is power, they’re depriving a lot of the student body of the power to protect, defend, and secure themselves in what may well be a dangerous situation.

Does campus rape scare you? Do you think the rape tip list was a joke or something more sinister? What do you think the university should do in regards to the rape list? Tell us in the comments!

Does your campus promote sexual harassment?

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Just because sexual harassment seems normal on college campuses doesn’t mean it’s okay–even at theme parties. | Source: ShutterStock

Sexual harassment is usually something you hear about happening at work or in offices, but it’s much more prevalent than people realize. This is especially true at college, where alcohol can get involved and blur people’s senses of right, wrong, creepy, and cute. And what’s scary is that some colleges are actually endorsing and encouraging events that may well promote sexual harassment–or worse.

Schools in England are coming under a lot of scrutiny now for practices that frequently occur on this side of the pond, too. One university sent out an email to incoming freshman, telling students, “This will be mainly a chance for you to scope out who’s in your department and stake your claim early on the 1 in 5 girls.” While that sounds relatively harmless and fun, it’s sending a message that women are prey and property for guys–and it’s making that attitude sound normal, which is dangerous. Because when you hear something enough times, you start to believe it. And if guys start to believe that, we’re not safe.

The message gets driven home further by a lot of theme parties that colleges host, whether through frats or student-run organizations. Guys are usually encouraged to dress either as something funny or like they do normally, while female students are expected to dress provocatively and scantily, further creating a creepy double standard (think of those “Pimps and Hoes” style parties). If guys aren’t showing up in Speedos, why should we be expected to rock little more than bras and miniskirts?

It’s scarier and more serious when you take into account that one in four women will or have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual harassment during college–and chances are the number is actually higher than that, because a lot of cases aren’t reported. By creating and harboring a culture where objectifying women is okay, what happens is, people don’t know where the line is drawn, and that, often, is how these scary situations go down.

How can we put a stop to all that? We can start by not going to parties or events that are designed to objectify us. Because guess what happens if girls stop showing up? So do guys, who then may learn to class it up a little–and they may learn their lesson. We can’t be objectified at a party like that if we don’t show up and consent to it. If an event like this is sponsored by a university, you may also want to make your disdain public–consider writing a letter or editorial in the campus newspaper. And if a guy says or does something that makes you uncomfortable, be sure to tell him to stop–and also to document it, report it, and hightail it out of there.

Have you ever been to a college theme party? Do you think theme parties are designed to objectify women? Have you ever been the victim of sexual harassment? Do you think certain college parties are more likely to end in sexual harassment or sexual assault than others? Tell us in the comments!

There’s an app to curb sexual harassment!

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AnnaLynne McCord spoke out about her own sexual assault at a benefit for the Somaly Mam Foundation, which fights global sex trafficking. | Source: WENN

It’s a cause so close to AnnaLynne’s heart that she actually skips out on Christmas to volunteer her time across the planet. The foundation, founded by–you guessed it–Somaly Mam, is a charity that seeks to end sex trafficking around the globe by empowering survivors and informing the world about the horrors of human trafficking. “I go to Cambodia every single Christmas now because in this industry, we get two weeks off around Christmas and New Year’s,” she said. “My production staff are amazing–they know to get AnnaLynne out so that she can be on a plane. So this year they will be rushing to get everything done so I can get my ‘red eye flight’ to Cambodia. I will be jet lagged when I get back for the first two weeks and my acting will suck, but it is what totally makes me happy.”

AnnaLynne was brave enough to speak out about her own sexual assault, and she did it in a really relatable and strong way: She wasn’t a victim, she was a survivor–and she was also a testimonial that sexual assault can happen to anyone at any time, and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It doesn’t mean that you put yourself in a bad situation, or that you’re weak.

It takes a lot of strength to report a sexual assault to begin with, but to address it to a room chock full of strangers is ridiculously freakin’ brave. And that’s just what AnnaLynne did, telling the crowd at the Life is Love event in L.A., “Has anyone ever been raped? Sexually abused? Not said ‘no‘ when you felt you didn’t have the right to? I know what it feels like.”

AnnaLynne explained, “I had a very similar experience to what these girls go through 20 times a night. It happened to me once by somebody that I knew, and it is a very interesting thing to feel that you do not have the voice to say ‘no.’ It wasn’t an attack or anything like that,” she added. “I just had no voice. I did not know how to say, ‘I don’t want this. Please do not do this to me.’”

Now, going through something like that is traumatizing enough just once–but 20 times a night? Can you even imagine? AnnaLynne gave more details about how her assault went down, making it an even more realistic scenario that a lot more women and girls have likely found themselves in than people realize. “It was a situation where I found myself in my own home being hospitable, and that hospitality was taken advantage of at an extreme level,” AnnaLynne explained. “I did not have a voice, and now I do, and I’m practicing using my voice for others. Finally I can say I was taken advantage of–not from my own shame that I did something to deserve that–and now I can have a clear conscience.”

She makes such an important point: No one deserves to be sexually assaulted, and if you are, it is not your fault. Here’s hoping she gives more girls the strength to speak up and stay strong.

Have you ever been sexually assaulted? Have you heard about sex trafficking? Do you think AnnaLynne McCord is doing something awesome? Have you ever been scared to speak up in an uncomfortable situation? Sound off in the comments!

And yet another reason to adore AnnaLynne McCord: She’s real!

Catch Us On The Tweet Side!

ShutterStock.com

The attackers pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor voyeurism in order to receive a plea deal. The maximum punishment is 180 days in prison and a $500 fine.

Savannah doesn’t believe the proposed punishment is harsh enough. Though the exact punishment cannot be revealed due to court order, personally even if they got the maximum it doesn’t feel like quite enough to me. Six months for sexual abuse and circulating images of it? Please.

Of course Savannah was pretty pissed about this too. Frustrated and feeling like the law didn’t serve her justice, she Tweeted the names of her attackers. Normally the names of those convicted of sexual crimes are public information, but because her attackers were minors their names had to be kept private. She might now be facing charges herself for going against the judge’s wishes.

She told the Huffington Post, “I’m at the point that if I have to go to jail for my rights, I will do it.” Wow. That’s a hugely brave statement and a very clear message to send to sexual abusers. I applaud Savannah for understanding the legality of this, still holding her ground, and dealing with the possible consequences. Savannah isn’t a victim, she’s a justice seeker.

I completely empathize with Savannah. I don’t know that I would have done things differently. But this isn’t personal for me or you the way it for Savannah, so we, as outsiders, have the benefit of looking at this picture from all sides. And although I don’t think what she did is wrong, I don’t believe that it was absolutely right, either.

We don’t know how old these boys were, but we know that they were younger than 18. They could have been 14 or 16 years old when they committed the act. By releasing their names to the public, Savannah is pretty much stigmatizing them for life. If the whole world knows what they have done, can they ever reform? Do you believe that if someone commits a heinous crime at 12 they can never change their behavior? At our youngest we grow the most. I would hate to demonize these boys in a way that means they never have a shot at really transforming into better people. With this on their public record against them, they may never be able to get jobs, make friends, or have healthy relationships.

Just to be clear, what these boys did was extremely wrong and they need to be punished. But what kind of punishment is best isn’t exactly black and white.

All I know for sure is that I would hate for Savannah to have to deal with another blow after what she has already lived through. Here’s how we can help her. There’s a petition to stop the judge from charging Savannah, with over 60,000 signatures. You can sign it here.

What do you think about the situation? Let us know in the comments!

I still can't believe it happened. | Source: Shutterstock

My debut novel, Monument 14, comes out this month. In it, a bunch of insanely scary things happen to a bunch of girls and guys. It got me thinking about the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. It wasn’t an earthquake or a chemical spill, but it was deeply troubling. Back when I was in a Junior Year Abroad program in Spain, I was assaultedby a man in the Ladies room of a train station.

I needed to go, so I left my bag with my friends and headed toward the building alone.

When I entered the Ladies room, a man came out of one of the stalls, then a second later I realized his pants were down around his knees. He was medium height – actually about three inches shorter than me. He had a scruffy face and salt and pepper hair and he stank of old wine.

My brain was still registering what I was seeing – I think I was somewhat frozen – and then he stepped up to me and grabbed my chest. It hurt and I immediately started hitting back. I smacked at him quickly with both hands and pushed him away from me. I stumbled out through the door and rushed back to the terminal to find my friends.

When I finally got them to understand what had happened to me, they insisted we tell the police. I didn’t want to. But then a Policeman passed by us at that exact moment. I told him the story and gave a description of the man. They took my information and said they would be in contact if they found him.

I thought I was alone . . . | Source: Flickr

We had, by this time, missed our train, so we decided to have a soda at a cafe. About a half-hour later, the policeman returned. He had another policeman with him and together they were holding the arms of a middle height man with salt and pepper hairand a scruffy face.

“Is this the man?” the first policeman asked. “Miss, I don’t know what’s happening,” the guy said in Spanish. “Is everything okay?” It was absolutely him. I looked into his bloodshot eyes and smelled his breath. “Yes, that’s him!” I said.

Immediately he began cursing and shouting at me in Spanish. The Policemen wrestled him back toward the station and asked me to follow them. In the office the policemen cuffed the creep.

“Do you want to press charges?” the policeman asked me. He explained that if I did, I’d have to hire a lawyer and return six to eight weeks later for a trial. Well, my trip was almost over. I would be back in New York by then. “No,” I told the policeman. “I won’t be able to return for a court date. I won’t press charges.”

The creep gave a little smile. The Policeman said he understood.

Then something happened that made me very happy we were in Spain, where they had, at the time at least, perhaps a more liberal application of the law then we did in the States.The policeman stood up, crossed to the creep and backhanded him across the face. Then he grabbed him by the arm, marched him to the door, paused to remove the handcuffs and proceeded to throw him through the door and out onto the marble floor of the station.

It was a completely freaky and scary incident, but I got through okay. Sometimes, that’s the best we can do. Looking back, I wish I’d known karate and could have really kicked that guy’s butt.

For more scary stuff, check out my book, Monument 14.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What would you have done if you’d been in my shoes? What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you? Tell me in the comments.

Here Are Some Things About Sexual Assault You Might Not Know

I was on call for some major emergencies. | Source: Shutterstock

I was checking out the shirts on our campus quad with two girlfriends and a guy friend of ours, when we learned the statistic that one in every three women will experience sexual assault at some point in her life. It was chilling. I was overwhelmed, shocked, nauseated, and angry. One in three?! Our guy friend pointed around the circle and said, “That means one of you.” And well, it didn’t just happen to one of three, it happened to two of three. The odds were never in our favor.

In college, I got involved with my campus’s Women’s Center, helped organize our annual Take Back the Night march twice, and was president of our Sexual Assault Task Force. Later, I became more directly involved by becoming a rape crisis counselor for a hotline.

Yes, it would have been more fun to volunteer at the animal shelter, but this work was and is so important to me that it was worthwhile. Working the hotline was serious business, and I was incredibly nervous when I started. Not only was it my duty to answer the hotline, but we were also contracted with local police departments, who would call us when they had a new assault victim; I would meet them at the hospital to support the survivor (a word more empowering than “victim”), give information, talk to families, or do whatever the survivor needed me to, including being in the medical exam room.

This shirt speaks the truth. | Source

I felt like I’d done something important. Helped someone.

I received a variety of calls: a mother wanting recommendations for counseling centers for her daughter, who had been raped; a woman who was ritually abused by a cult as a girl and who couldn’t remember all of it; a husband who wanted to know how to help his wife after her rape; and a man who blamed himself for his childhood molestation and was still afraid to talk about it.

The hospital calls were harder. I never knew what sort of assault I’d be facing or how the survivor was handling it. These were the times I had to act confident no matter how unprepared I felt, and to focus myself completely on helping the survivor, however was needed, and put aside my own heartbreak at knowing what happened. This could be hard; some of the attacks were especially brutal, and it would take me hours or days to recover. The supervisors of the hotline were available 24/7 if we needed to talk, and I sometimes really did.

She needs your support. | Source: Shutterstock

If you want to get involved, you can volunteer at a hotline in your area; check out RAINN’s volunteer webpage for hotlines in your area or domestic violence shelters; domestic violence shelters frequently have a variety of volunteer opportunities (including less-intense stuff like helping with mailings or collecting pledges). You can also help spread awareness about sexual assault at school, your religious organization, clubs you’re in, and more. Make fliers to pass out or posters, or see if you can get your local Clothesline Project to hang their shirts at your school.

The most important thing you can do if someone you know was assaulted is be supportive. Be there. Listen. If the assault just happened, encourage your friend to go to the ER to get a medical checkup (there may be injuries you can’t see); samples can also be collected as evidence to catch the attacker. Having support will make the biggest difference to her or him, and you can be the one to provide that help.

Click Here For More Facts On Sexual Assault