While a student is laying in a dorm bed sleeping, their best friend could be getting sexually assaulted just a floor above and no one may ever find out. Not only will no one ever find out, the victim will have to see the perpetrator on a daily basis. Sexual assault is a hot topic in today's society, especially when it comes to sexual assault on college campuses. A large majority of sexual assault that occurs in college campuses goes unreported because students are afraid and feel like their voice does not matter. Students have a right to voice their injustices and they should feel comfortable enough at their university to do so. Due to the process of reporting sexual assault, not knowing the difference between campus policy verse the law and being unsure of what constitutes rape all factor into the constant challenge of making people feel secure enough to report. 

Sexual assault is defined by more than just the word "rape." One in four college students are affected by sexual assault in some form, whether they were assaulted, heard of a story or, helped their best friend recover from it. Rape is not something that easily erases from memory. Forcing someone into a sexual act they do not feel comfortable with is not okay.  

The reality of sexual assault on college campuses becomes clear when someone begins school. Joining the organization One Love and viewing the documentary "The Hunting Ground" 

made it clear how massive of an issue sexual assault is. "The Hunting Ground" proved from interviews and evidence that victims are afraid to report because they do not want the university to blame them or cover up the crime. I have witnessed too many of my beloved friends come home crying after a man took advantage of them.  It is up to the university to join the fight for change.  

"An imperfect process: How campuses deal with sexual assault" is a CNN online article published on December 21, 2015, by Sara Ganim and Nelli Black. The article focuses on how campus policy and relations can not only affect the accuser, but also the accused. Evidence in the article comes from the controversy at the University of California- San Diego involving sexual assault. Mishaps and procedures not being followed properly on the universities part can lead to devastating results when it comes to trial. Title IX plays a pivotal role on how campuses are supposed to approach sexual assault. The article provides details with how cases are being handled poorly in a variety of forms such as the prosecution and unjust claims. The source of the article is credible and both sides of the argument are shown. The authors do insinuate change needs to happen. Sexual assault is a dishonest crime with a corrupt system to punish it. 

A Time Magazine article published on June 23, 2014,  titled "Why Victims of Rape in College Don't Report to the Police" by Eliza Gray lists the reasons of why students are too intimidated to go to the police. Senator Claire McCaskill hosted a discussion to get to the bottom of why exactly students are so afraid to go the police. The main reasons were that they do not want anyone to know, they are not sure what constitutes rape, they are afraid the police will not believe them and they do not know how much control they will have after they report it to the police. University officials and the local police need to be working together more closely on the 

issue and making conjoined decisions. The author and source are both extremely credible. The author is biased because she believes something needs to be done. If both parties of officials act on the same page and in the best interest of the student, change can happen.  

Ian Urbina wrote an article for the New York Times entitled "The Challenges of Defining Rape" on October 11, 2014. The word "rape" no longer has a concrete meaning. Colleges and universities across the nation are being affected because the administrators are unsure with how to deal with sexual assault effectively. Over the years, the definition of rape has changed dramatically so why not revise it now? The article discusses how colleges have a looser interpretation of the word rape than the justice system does. The source and author of the article are valid and do not show any bias when reporting on the topic but does a good job including quotes and evidence.  The main point comes back to, what exactly is considered rape?

The sources shown help provide a good amount of background information for the topic. They provide intel about the different controversies on several college campus. Opinions of experts and actual college students are also addressed by the sources. The question is arguable because some people feel it is the responsibility of the victim to report their assault even though they may be scared. People also believe victims are just exaggerating or reporting to get attention. The research question may be difficult to answer because each university has their own set of regulations when it comes to sexual assault, so it is best to focus in on the University of South Carolina policy. 

Reasoning for students not reporting sexual assault is the process of reporting, not knowing the difference between campus policy verse the law and being unclear on the exact definition of rape. To any human, it is not a secret or surprise that sexual assault has become such 

an issue. Students should feel safe on their college campus. The process of how sexual assault claims are handled needs to become more uniform and effective. The reasons why students are afraid to report sexual assault provide a usual hint into what can be changed.  Because the definition of rape is constantly evolving, students shy away from reporting their incident because they are not sure if it was rape. Rape is a one syllable, four letter word that can haunt you forever.  

