BEMIDJI 鈥� Supporting survivors of sexual violence doesn鈥檛 stop with believing them.
Participants and speakers during this year鈥檚 Take Back the Night event at Bemidji State University called for a change in the norms that perpetuate sexual violence and place shame and guilt on those who have experienced it.
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The annual event, which began with a march from Paul Bunyan Park to the BSU campus Thursday evening, brought together students, community members and local organizations all with the purpose of bringing an end to sexual violence.
鈥淭his is an important issue for our campus and our community,鈥� shared BSU President John Hoffman in his opening remarks. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue that鈥檚 changed lives forever.鈥�
As a partnership between BSU and an organization that provides resources for those who鈥檝e experienced sexual violence, the event was designed to create a safe and supportive environment to share and connect with others.
This year it also challenged those present to imagine a world free of violence and what it might take to reach that dream.
鈥淭he idea of ending violence or living in a society free of violence can feel like a fantasy,鈥� shared Sarah Borgen, an advocate at Support Within Reach and guest speaker for the event. 鈥淲e must muster the courage to look at this (problem) without feeling deflated or discouraged.鈥�
In Borgen鈥檚 address, she gave an overview of how sexual violence has been discussed throughout history and how the experiences of women and other victims have been discounted.
She also challenged members of the audience to recognize how current societal norms can make it harder to recognize and stand up to sexual violence, starting with the general Midwestern aversion to conflict.
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鈥淲e have developed a culture that renders abuses invisible in our own desire to escape confrontation,鈥� Borgen said. 鈥淥ur discomfort can tell us more about ourselves, our values. Discomfort is our friend.鈥�
Borgen encouraged those present to not shy away from the discomfort around the topic of sexual violence and to normalize discussions on the issue so that it can become easier to recognize.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 resist what you can鈥檛 see, so the first act of resistance is to notice,鈥� she explained.
While it might seem like recognizing violence would be simple, Borgen argued that because so many signs of abuse have been normalized many fly under the radar.
鈥淪o much of what we take for granted as normal needs to be questioned,鈥� she said.
Borgen also advocated for sexual violence to be viewed as a community problem that requires everyone to be a part of the solution.
鈥淚 understand we want to look away, we want to pretend this problem doesn鈥檛 exist,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut it can never work without coming together as a community to challenge the cultural norms that perpetuate violence.鈥�
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Beyond working to recognize violence when it鈥檚 taking place, resistance can also include working to foster healthy communication, relationships and environments, providing support to survivors and standing up to perpetrators and perpetrators of violence.
鈥淲e are here to support each other and everyone who has experienced violence,鈥� Borgen said. 鈥淲e have a monumental task ahead of us, to offer a different vision of the status quo.鈥�
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, advocates are available to help. Reach out to Support Within Reach 24/7 at (800) 708-2727 in Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard and Cass, or (866) 747-5008 in Itasca and Aitkin Counties.
For more information about Support Within Reach, visit
The Trust Project
