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Holding Sexual Assault Enablers Responsible

The Bystander Initiative And Legal Reform

Thanks to Selena Routley, I read Armies of Enablers by Prof. Amos Guiora of the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney School of Law.

This book was far from an easy read. It documents the shameful, immoral reality of our culture’s most-respected institutions: major universities including Penn State, Michigan State, and Ohio State, USA Gymnastics, and the Catholic Church. These institutions, just like my undergraduate school, one of the most expensive and ‘elite’ private womens’ colleges in the nation, all nurtured, protected, and supported sexual predators who targeted children, teens, and young adults — for decades.

For many years, I thought that being raped 11 days after my 21st birthday, and the prior sexual grooming and exploitation I had also endured, was an isolated instance. I thought these incidents were my fault, and inside, I even thought that I, in some way, caused these predations.

I was privileged to speak with Prof. Guiora last week. He is leading the Bystander Initiative, which is dedicated to research, analysis, and legislative action on bystander and enabler liability in cases of institutionalized sexual predation and assault.