It’s on us –the students to involve ourselves in the awareness and prevention of sexual assault on college campuses.
President Obama noted that an estimated one in five women have been sexually assaulted during their college years, and of those assaults, only 12 percent are reported.
Just a few weeks ago, the third annual Sex 101 Week returned to Citrus College, educating students about the newly passed Senate Bill 967, “Yes Means Yes.” SB 967 revises what is considered consent, sexual assault on college campuses, and Title IX – an act that focuses on discrimination based on sexes in education programs.
The “It’s On Us” campaign and “Not Alone” report were unfortunately not mentioned during Sex 101 Week, and that is a shame because they both need to be discussed further in depth to educate students on not only sexual assault, but also how to prevent it and combat it on our campuses.
“It’s On Us,” asks everyone — men and women across America — to make a personal commitment to step off the sidelines and be part of the solution to campus sexual assault. “Not Alone” is information for students, schools, and anyone interested in finding resources on how to respond to and prevent sexual assault.
Though these campaigns and reports are aimed towards women, men are just as important in these situations. Society has been led to believe that rape is a women’s issue, and because of this, victims may feel uncomfortable reporting such incidences. In order to bring justice to alleged assailants, reporting them is key.
Following the tips and steps from both the “It’s On Us” campaign and the “Not Alone” report, college students can prevent sexual assaults.
We can lower the statistics, make campuses safer, and allow individuals to interact with each other without anxiety, but in order for this to happen, it’s on us.
