Great Valley Student Says 'No More' to Assault Stigma

Great Valley High School student Maggie Kennedy will bring a message to her classmates this week that she says challenges popular beliefs about assault and encourages both male and female students to think differently about harassment.

Having worked for months to coordinate her effort, Kennedy will introduce juniors and seniors Thursday to a program called “NO MORE,” in collaboration with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office who will address students.

The NO MORE movement is designed “to raise public awareness and engage bystanders around ending domestic violence and sexual assault,” according to the organization’s website. Additionally, it aims to break down the barriers of stigma, silence and shame that keep people from talking about these issues and taking action to prevent them.

“I believe this program is important for high school students because by the time kids enter college, many of their beliefs and behaviors are set,” says Kennedy. “Too much of the education focuses the responsibility on the survivor with an underlying assumption that men cannot control their urges.”

All Great Valley juniors and senior will attend the assembly planned for April 23. Kennedy will introduce the topic and the speakers.

She will also show a video that she prepared with the help of fellow students Sophia Ling and Anika Narula. The three-minute video shares statistics about the instances of abuse in the country and features student reactions to abuse and how they think they would feel if someone they knew was abused. The video ends with a message for students to reach out to parents, teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors if they have or know someone who has been abused. It closes with the message: “You are not alone.”

“The presentation on April 23 will end with a call to action,” says Kennedy. “The frequency of sexual assault news stories, the ignoring of said stories in favor of the attacker’s sports career, the rape jokes, and the constant inference that assault is no big deal needs to change.”

Following the video, Chester County Assistant District Attorney Mike Noone, Great Valley football coach Dan Ellis, and Villanova University professor and Great Valley parent Ann Juliano will address the audience. Students will also hear testimonies of abuse victims from around the country that will be read by their classmates.

“This presentation is not about how girls can protect themselves at parties or in cities late at night,” said Kennedy. “It is about respected people – both males and females – telling students that sexual assault and harassment of any kind is an egregious crime which can and will be punished.”