The Cornell Case: Turning Outrage Into a Commitment to Prevention  

Written by SAFE
SAFE stands with Jane Doe. We need our community to invest in prevention so that people can learn to recognize the signs of violence young, learn how to intervene safely, and develop a personal sense of responsibility to prevent violence from happening when they see it. Violence prevention education in youth settings like SAFE's Expect Respect program is central to early intervention and prevention.

In the Cornell case, first and foremost, we believe Jane Doe deserves safety, support, privacy, and a meaningful response from the institutions that failed her.  

We also believe that this case must not become just another headline that generates outrage before attention moves on. When sexual violence becomes visible, the public is right to insist on accountability. But we should not be content with reactivity. Instead, we must move the conversation to what work must be done to prevent sexual violence before it occurs.  

The Cornell case raises questions that go beyond the seven men accused. In a fraternity group chat with 57 members, photos show Jane Doe as visibly incapacitated and messages present her as someone who could be sexually exploited. The scale of this violation demands that we confront not only the violence itself, but also the culture that enables, normalizes, and perpetuates it.  

We must raise young people to respect consent and act when someone else is at risk. We have a responsibility to teach them to recognize coercion, challenge dehumanizing language, and put another person’s safety ahead of fitting in.  

Universities have an obligation to build and sustain a culture of safety with every incoming class. That requires ongoing education, meaningful accountability, accessible support, and leaders willing to confront harmful norms. These commitments must be resourced and practiced long before sexual violence makes national news.  

We believe that work must begin at an early age. SAFE’s Expect Respect school-based program works to break the cycle of abuse in youth’s lives. The program offers youth a safe space to talk openly, support one another, and challenge cultural norms around dating violence, consent, and what healthy relationships look like. It fosters shared responsibility for intervention and prevents future violence.  

We, at The SAFE Alliance, urge our community to turn outrage into a sustained commitment to violence prevention. We must change what young people learn, what peers tolerate, and what institutions prioritize. We must measure accountability not just by how we respond to sexual violence after it happens, but by how we prevent it altogether.  

To learn how you can bring prevention education to your school, organization, or community, contact SAFE’s Community Engagement team at communityengagement@safeaustin.org.