美国国家公共电台 NPR How Can We Stop Sexual Assault At Music Festivals? One Group Says, Start By Educating

How Can We Stop Sexual Assault At Music Festivals? One Group Says, Start By Educating

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Summer is a time for music festivals around the world, with thousands of people gathering¹ to enjoy their favorite bands and musicians. But in Sweden last month, police say there were more than 50 cases of rape² and sexual assault at two major festivals there. Sexual violence has been reported for decades at large outdoor concerts, including here in the U.S. And now in the U.K., some county officials are trying to do something about it.

David Huggins is one of those officials. He's the domestic abuse coordinator³ with the Isle⁴ of Wight Council in the U.K., where two popular festivals - the Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival - are held every year. We caught up with David Huggins and asked how their operations work on the ground.

DAVID HUGGINS: Yeah, so what we do - we have volunteers that work at our local hospital in the sexual health clinic and an organization called Southampton Rape Crisis. So on any day when we're at the events we'll have probably four members of our team working at any one time. We'll have a static unit in a tent where we have information we can give to festival goers.

But we want to make it a bit of fun as well, so we make bracelets⁵ which have messages on it, things like love doesn't hurt, no means no. So it's an engagement process where you can get festival goers to come along, ask what we're doing. They sit down and they start making some beads⁶ or bracelets, we start talking, and you raise awareness⁷ through that medium.

CHANG: There are about 100,000 people that come regularly to those two major festivals in the Isle of Wight. Have there ever been any cases of sexual assault at either of those events?

HUGGINS: The most recent one, the Isle of Wight Festival, which was held back in early June - and that was a four-day event. And throughout the duration of the four days we just had one incident reported to the police, which was an over-clothing touch - touching⁸. That was the only case that was reported.

CHANG: Do you think there's a problem with underreporting, that some women feel that they have been sexually assaulted but because they can't identify their attacker in a crowd, they don't even bother reporting the incident?

HUGGINS: I know - we know here in the U.K. around 15 percent of victims of serious sexual assault will come forward and actually report these incidents to the police. So we know that the vast majority don't make any report at all. I mean - and that's the whole purpose that - why we exist at two these festivals, is to encourage reporting and reassuring⁹ people that they have time to make a decision, you know, but at least we can give them some good advice.

CHANG: And how are other music festivals trying to deal with this? Do you know?

HUGGINS: I know that we are unique in the U.K. I mean, the biggest pop festival, probably, in U.K. is Glastonbury. They certainly have no awareness-raising program in relation to rape and serious sexual assault. And there is a reluctance¹⁰ by festival organizers to...

CHANG: ...Why is that? Why is there a reluctance, do you think?

HUGGINS: Because I think that they believe that there will be a stigma¹¹ attached to their festival if they're raising awareness of rape and serious sexual assault, that people will think, you know, are we going to be safe going to that event? Here on the Isle of Wight, the organizers of the Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival, they've been really pleased with the way we've been able to engage with festival goers and make it a safe festival. And so in time, hopefully we can spread the word that other festivals on the mainland - in the U.K., at least - will have a similar approach.

CHANG: David Huggins is the domestic abuse coordinator with the Isle of Wight Council. David, thanks so much for being with us.

HUGGINS: Thank you very much for inviting¹² me.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

4 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

5 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

9 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

10 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

11 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

12 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。