EXCLUSIVE: University of Arkansas Discounts Food for Students Who Say Men Commit Rape

ashley.rae | September 28, 2016
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Students at the University of Arkansas can receive a discount at restaurants on campus if they claim six percent of men commit rape.

According to a flier obtained by MRCTV, the University of Arkansas is holding a “That’s so 6%” campaign for people to acknowledge that “6% of men commit acts of rape.”

The flier asserts, “1 in 4 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.” It also claims, “Rape culture supports the 6%” and instructs people to fight back by saying, “that’s so 6%” when they see something that supposedly supports rape culture.

By wearing a “that’s so 6%” pin or t-shirt on Wednesdays, students will receive a six percent discount at various restaurants on campus, including Au bon Pain, Freshens, and Starbucks.

The flier also includes a reference to the “#thatsso6percent” hashtag campaign.

The “That’s so 6%” campaign at the University of Arkansas appears to date back to at least 2014. The Rape Education Services by Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought (RESPECT) at the University of Arkansas website says “That’s so 6%” is “not just a saying, but a movement.”

Although the flier claims “6% of men commit acts of rape,” the RESPECT website clarifies they mean six percent of college men:

Research indicates that it’s a small percentage who are responsible for perpetrating sexual assault. We know that the majority of offenders are male, but overall, only a small percentage of males commit offenses. In fact, in their original study, Lisak and Miller (2002) found that 6% of college men are responsible for the vast majority of sexual assaults among college students.

However, the RESPECT website also cites newer data that claims, “10.8% of college men perpetrate the majority of rapes among college students.”

“Regardless of the exact percent,” the website reads, “the original study by Lisak and Miller (2002) has provided insight about sexual violence and its perpetration. Picking apart at numbers only distracts that there is a big problem being committed by a small number and some perpetrators are repeat offenders.”

Therefore, in order to fight against the problem of rape, the “That’s so 6%” campaign is dedicated to “calling out” rape culture.

Examples of rape culture that the website claims needs to be “called out” include:

  • rape myths
  • misogynistic jokes
  • rigid gender-based stereotypes
  • inequalities and devaluing of people as they are categorized into groups
  • widespread sexualized violence throughout various genres of media
  • acceptance of sexist language or misuse of terms that devalue individuals and sexual violence (e.g. I “raped” that test.)

RESPECT asserts the goal of “That’s so 6%” is to tell people to be quiet when they’re saying something that might be offensive and qualify as perpetuating “rape culture”:

By calling out rape culture for what it is with four simple words, there is no need to “get into it.” Quite the contrary. For those already familiar with what “that’s so 6%” means, they get it and nothing more needs to be said. For those unfamiliar with what “that’s so 6%” means, we have observed these four words  igniting a meaningful dialogue about its rationale rather than a confrontation.

RESPECT is described as a “group of men and women who provide educational presentations and interactive events on sexual assault issues through peer health education.” The food discounts are provided by Chartwells, which is partnering with RESPECT for “That’s so 6%.” 

The RESPECT website also includes a trigger warning for those who may be triggered by the material discussed by the organization.

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