The Cornell 7 and the Problem with Writing as Punishment

—feri ferdinan—Getty Images Justice is elusive, and there are few clearer examples of this than when people who commit acts of sexual violence are given rote tasks as a means of atonement.

Recently, the “Cornell 7” case has inspired new conversations about what accountability and atonement involve.

When college administrators investigated a report of sexual violence, some of the alleged perpetrators were reportedly assigned to write “ reflection papers ,” along with other punishments.

The writing assignments drew such ire that Cornell issued a statement stating that "none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement." I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse , which started when I was 11 years old.

Abuse from my step-father went hand-in-hand with punishment.

He knew how much I loved words, reading, and writing, and began to use them to discipline me.

Our household was governed by an elaborate set of rules.

We were not allowed to speak during dinner without permission.

We were required to stand while playing board games.

Our bedrooms were inspected every evening, and our beds had to be made with hospital corners.

Any infraction could result in punishment.

One of the preferred methods was to require me to write an essay outlining what I had done wrong and how to correct my misdeeds.

If I didn't wash the dishes carefully enough, I would have to write an essay about why I needed to take better care when cleaning up after dinner.

Other times, I was ordered to write the same sentence hundreds of times.