Tim Mousseau, a sexual violence prevention speaker, used his passion and personal experiences as a victim to spark conversations about redefining masculinity and provoking change in society during a special lecture at Hofstra on Wednesday, March 27.
“The way we talk about this topic in this country is broken,” Mousseau said. He transformed his trauma into an educational lecture for campuses and organizations. Mousseau feels that because of the broken communication that exists around these topics, it is difficult for many to talk about it. During the event, a member of Hofstra’s Student Health & Counseling Center was on standby for any students who needed to talk after the lecture.
After graduating college, Mousseau was targeted through anonymous letters. He described how he was doubted by family, friends and coworkers about the event. As if “I was somehow at fault,” Mousseau said. He explained that many of his friends felt uncomfortable around him after becoming aware of his trauma.
“[This event] opened my eyes to the topic that I did not know before,” said Victoria O’Dell, a sophomore video and television major. “I’ve also kept myself updated about sexual assault and how to comfort people that have been through it.”
Mousseau’s discussion was sponsored by the Title IX Office for Student Issues, College Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, Professional Fraternity Council, Office of Student Leadership and Engagement and Campus Recreation.
“I still think that [we] could do more to make it so guys do not feel like they are always the problem,” said Matthew Barwell, a senior business management major. “While obviously statistically speaking, guys have a higher likelihood of triggering those events, there are still a lot of guys who are turned off about talking about it because they are immediately blamed.”
After becoming aware of these shortcomings, there is a way to take action. This comes first through understanding the definition of sexual violence – among other things, this includes rape, stalking and sexual assault. Sexual violence can be avoided through a complete understanding of what consent is and how bystanders can prevent it.
“Sexual violence in any form is one of the most preventable crimes in the United States,” Mousseau said. “The problem is that I did nothing until I was sexually assaulted,” Mousseau said.
“Hofstra does do a really good job of putting on programs and at making resources and information more accessible, but you cannot force students to take advantage of that,” said Olivia Beaton, a senior English major. “That is why we had the idea to break out of the typical Title IX training so that we could get something that is interesting for students and have someone tell a real story instead of a bunch of random information. We find it more impactful when there is a personal connection.”