Breaking the Silence: Uncovering the History of Sexual Violence at Virginia Tech

For as long as women have been present in institutions of higher education, they have been sexually assaulted and harassed. Virginia Tech, like other colleges and universities, has not been immune from the power of these larger cultural and sexual trends. This volume is an effort to explore how these historical dynamics played out at Virginia Tech. The result is a collection of original essays authored by Virginia Tech undergraduate or graduate students that chart how Virginia Tech students have navigated a challenging sexual climate and culture from the mid-1960s onward.

How to access this book
The main landing page for this book is https://doi.org/10.21061/breakingthesilence.
The open textbook is freely available online in multiple formats including PDF and EPUB.
A paperback print version (in color) is available for order here.

ISBNs
ISBN (PDF): 978-1-962841-11-5
ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-962841-10-8
ISBN (print): 978-1-962841-09-2

Table of contents
1. Crime and No Punishment: The Brzonkala Case, Sexual Culture, and the Power of Male Athletics at Virginia Tech
2. Women’s Week: Success or Failure?
3. Techmen: Protectors of What?
4. A Ghost of a Problem: What Goes on with Women in the Corps of Cadets?
5. Cover Those Midsections: The Struggle Over Bodies, Conduct, and Sexuality During the Long Sixties at Virginia Tech
6. (Queer) Pride and Prejudice at Virginia Tech
7. Partying Like It’s 1989: The Culture of Status, Secrets, and Sex of Virginia Tech’s Greek Life
8. Who Is the Victim?: Greek Life Sexual Culture Changing the Narrative of Victimization in the 1980s to 1990s
9. Who Holds the Power?: VT Greek Life’s Battle over Social Autonomy and Sexual Citizenship
10. Women’s Agency in Virginia Tech’s Emerging Sexual Geography
11. Virginia Tech Under Pressure
12. Conclusion: Next Steps

Suggested citation
Marian Mollin, ed. (2024). Breaking the Silence: Uncovering the History of Sexual Violence at Virginia Tech. Blacksburg: Virginia Tech Department of History. https://doi.org/10.21061/breakingthesilence. Licensed with CC BY 4.0.

Accessibility
Virginia Tech is committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Virginia Tech Publishing is committed to continuous improvement regarding accessibility. The text, images, headings, and links in the PDF and HTML versions of this text are tagged structurally and include alternative text, which allows for machine readability. Please contact publishing@vt.edu if you are a person with a disability and have suggestions to make this book more accessible.

Cover design: Kindred Grey