"Approximately 25% of college women have been victims of attempted or completed sexual assault" (James and Lee 2449). Do you feel comfortable knowing that you could be counted in that statistic, or would you want your friend, sibling, or child to be a part of that statistic? In addition to that, studies done on student victimization discovered that only about 5% of students report their assaults to the police and/or university (James and Lee 2450). The issue with sexual assault on college students is that assault happens way too often, yet victims stay quiet about it, due to a variety of reasons. An article in Time Magazine by Eliza Gray states, "In the 2007 study, 42% of the 'physically forced' victims who did not report the incident to the police said it was because they 'did not want anyone to know'" ("Why Victims Don't Report to the Police"). For many victims, this may be due to knowing the perpetrator or going to a small college in which word travels fast. With as emotional as taking action may be for victims, coming forward truly is a good thing to do. This is because with more reports, more attention is drawn to the matter. The issue of sexual assault is one that needs to change for the better so that college students can feel safe on and around their college campus. 

The controversy for this issue includes the involvement of university officials and police officers, whether they are of the campus or of the city. Some people believe that the university should handle the situation on its own so that the victim is accommodated for after the assault. Others believe that a victim should go straight to the city police and let them deal with the situation. In the article, "A Feminist Says 'No' to Yes-Means-Yes", Roz Galtz claims that all victims, whether they are in college or not, should have the same resources available to them since they are all victims of the same crime. Galtz argued that going through the city police is how all victims would receive the same treatment (Galtz 446). A third stance that people have is to have the city police and the university officials work together to create the best environment and provide the most justice for the victim. 

Another part to the controversy of consent is between the "yes means yes" policy and the "no means no" policy. Affirmative consent is what many call "yes means yes", which is when consent is confirmed for sexual activity at every step through body language and/or verbal language. The "no means no" policy was the previous version of "yes means yes", in which saying "no" or "stop" to the activity occurring was how consent was determined. The recent change was started by the state of California through its Senate Bill 967 and has since caught the attention of many states across the country. Not only is the policy receiving interest from many states, but universities of all sizes and prestige are also adopting the policy of affirmative consent. In order for students to have a better understanding of what consent actually is and to eventually decrease the number of sexual assaults on students, the University of South Carolina, as well as other universities, should become involved by adopting affirmative consent.

College students getting sexually assaulted is not a new occurrence, but rather an issue that is simply getting more attention than ever before. In a book about sexual assault on North American college campuses, the authors state, "Perhaps more important, about 40 years ago, Kanin (1957) found that more than 20% of the college women he studied had been victimized by rape or attempted rape" (Schwartz and DeKeseredy 9-10). Therefore, it can be said that sexual assault on colleges has not changed much over the last 60 years, but hopefully the increased concern over the issue today can change that. Through the media, many victims have come out to tell their story, whether it be so justice can be done or to let other victims know that they are not alone. Due to all of the interest that the issue has received during the last few years, many government officials have worked on new laws and policies to put into place in order to decrease the number of sexual assault victims. With this, many universities have also decided to change things around, such as prevention programs and school policies. The California Senate Bill 967, which made affirmative consent a law in the state, could be seen as the start of the "yes means yes" controversy.

Without the media, the issue would not be where it is today. Due to the problem of sexual assault on college campuses being such a hot topic, many victims have been inspired to take action to make a change due to the opened door. The awareness and education for sexual assault, especially for college students, has grown greatly over the last few years because of the increased concern by others in communities all over the country. Sexual assault is a national issue, as it happens just about everywhere. Reported cases of sexual assault that stand out from others are most commonly spread nationally through new channels and newspapers. With this, the nation gets an idea of what is happening in society and gives the people an opportunity to help fight for justice for victims, while also helping put an end to sexual assault. 

On local terms, the University of South Carolina has many preventive measures, such as education programs like Haven and AlcoholEdu. In addition, the university has a large number of resources to help students with a variety of needs. A goal at the University of South Carolina is to prevent sexual assaults from occurring, but if there is an incident, it can sometimes act as a reality check to students on campus. Assaults happening on a student's own campus, where they are used to feeling safe, can definitely act as a reminder that anyone can be a victim and that it can happen at any place and at any time. For example, on January 30th, just a few months ago, a student was sexually assaulted on campus at 3:30am by an armed man. The victim reported the case to the police, which resulted in an arrest due to the collaboration of the University of South Carolina Police Department and the City of Columbia Police Department (Barber and Ramsey). Since the assault occurred, the university has introduced a new application to students, known as the I've Been Violated application. Granted that, it is shown that the university continues to find ways to help end sexual assault for students at the University of South Carolina. 

A few key terms should be defined before going much deeper into this subject. To start, sexual assault needs to be clearly understood. Sexual assault is any type of sexual act or behavior that was not agreed upon by all people involved in the activity. Many people think of sexual assault and rape as interchangeable, when actually rape is just one of the many types of sexual assault. Additionally, as declared in the California Senate Bill 967, affirmative consent is "affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity" (Glickman 437). This is also what many call "yes means yes", as it requires a cue either verbally or through body language that all the people engaging in the sexual activity are comfortable with what is occurring.

Currently at the University of South Carolina, efforts to prevent sexual assault are on the rise due to the media giving increased attention to sexual assault cases from all over the country. In order to get successful results from implementing affirmative consent on the University of South Carolina campus, students first need to be aware of the "yes means yes" policy. Education on the subject of affirmative consent is an important part of the process because students are the ones practicing the policy. In an article by Charlie Glickman that supports affirmative consent, some examples of what non-verbal consent can look like are listed, as affirmative consent does not have to be strictly confirmed by the word "yes". Using examples that were commented on a post of his, Glickman writes, "I think the only real test of affirmative consent is when the other person takes initiative of her or his own accord  --  without prompting or pressure. Without stopping and waiting for that initiative, there is just too much room for misunderstanding, especially with a newish partner" (Glickman 438). The text goes on to tell an example of this when kissing. When a kiss is about to be given, it is said that the one giving the kiss should come close enough to where the person receiving the kiss can close the small gap, as this ensures that both people are comfortable with the kiss (Glickman 438). As the understanding of affirmative consent is spread from person to person, sexual assault numbers should decrease.  

In addition to the knowledge of affirmative consent, students also need to have the proper education, preventative measures, and materials for victims widely available. The University of Kentucky's president, Eli Capilouto, was asked by ABC News about the practices done on campus for sexual assault, as the White House considers the university to be a model due to their efforts in sexual assault prevention. President Eli Capilouto replies with, "Well first of all you've got to recognize your problem. Ten years ago, we were one of the first to do a campus wide climate survey. We understood some of those same horrific numbers that were reported previously. We birthed in an entrepreneurial way, interventions that we thought would empower individuals, and spread that responsibility collectively to the entire community  --  our students, our faculty, our staff, our police force, others that you have to partner with in community to make a difference. And then you've got to stop and reassess, see how effective you are, repeat your surveys, refine, invest, and move forward" (ABC News). Regarding this, it is clear that the University of Kentucky finds the issue of sexual assault to be a serious matter that needs to be taken care of. Because the University of Kentucky has put in a great amount of effort to make changes over the last ten years, other universities have, luckily enough, been encouraged to accomplish similar modifications. In the interview with ABC News, President Eli Capilouto also mentions the Green Dot Program that is in place at the University of Kentucky. This program is what he refers to as "equivalent to a designated driver in drinking situations" in which students are trained to intervene when an unsafe situation is at hand. This program has a goal of preventing sexual assault and is one that most students are aware of, which is what many other universities are trying to also achieve. Preventing sexual assault is not just important on a university's behalf, but also on the students' behalf. In a study done to look at university policies regarding sexual assault, it states, "Sexual assault survivors are more likely to report psychological disorders such as major Depressive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and to drop out of school compared to students who have never been victims of sexual assault (Vladitiu, Martin and Macy qtd. in Streng and Kamimura 65)". In addition to safety, the health of all students is also important. Students come to college to get an education, make memories, have new experiences, and walk out with a degree. For victims, this dream can not always be completed, which makes it even more necessary for the university to get involved. By adopting affirmative consent, universities can help make sure all students successfully leave with college memories and a degree when they are ready to do so. As far as resources for victims go, the article "Why All Colleges Should Adopt Affirmative Consent" claims that University Police would complement the affirmative consent policy. The author states, "Currently, most schools do not have the investigatory resources they need to obtain the necessary evidence need in school disciplinary hearings of this serious nature" (Gulite 444). The author of this article goes on to explain that if University Police went through the same training that disciplinary committees of sexual assault cases attend, then sexual assault cases at universities could be improved greatly. This provides hope that by making a few changes in education, prevention, and training, sexual assault could be made into a less common crime. 

Affirmative consent is not agreed on by all government officials, university officials, students, community members, and lawmakers, as no controversial issue ever is fully agreed upon. One opposing viewpoint to affirmative consent, or the "yes means yes" policy, is that the "no means no" policy is better. Some say that the "no means no" policy is more natural, meaning that one does not have to ask for consent at every single level during sexual activity, but rather just stop if a "no" is given. The text of the California Senate Bill 967 for affirmative consent states, "Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent, nor does silence mean consent" (Glickman 437). This text is in support of the victims who are unable to say "no", due to something such as excessive alcohol, drugs, or even shock and fear. Some victims do not feel capable of fighting back towards an attacker or may not even realize they are being attacked, depending on their state of wellbeing at the time. As a result, a victim communicating "no" is not always an option, which proves that "yes means yes" is a more specific, therefore safer, policy compared to "no means no".

In addition to the "no means no" policy, there is another oppositional stance to affirmative consent. This stance is that the university should not be involved in cases of sexual assault, but rather have the police department handle the crime. In the article, "A Feminist Says 'No' to Yes-Means-Yes", Roz Galtz mentions, "After all, if not uniformly hostile to victims, the police, DAs, and courts are notoriously uneven, depending on their culture, training, resources, and leadership. Why subject college students to their brand of justice?" (Galtz 448). Allowing every victim of sexual assault, whether in college or not, to receive the same exact treatment is a concern for many people on campuses and in communities. As for this, every person is different and has a different situation, therefore it is not necessary to have identical treatment for every victim of sexual assault. The important part is that every victim receives the help they ask for, and all victims have different requests for their specific case. In an ABC News clip, Emma Sulkowicz, a student victim of rape, was asked, "What type of justice are you seeking from the administration?" (ABC News) after she decided to tell her university about being raped by her close friend. The victim replied to the question with, "I just wanted him to get off campus" (ABC News). Here, it is evident that not everyone wants to go to the police to press charges against their assaulter. In this case, the victim simply wanted her rapist off of her campus, which is something that the university officials can deal with. For this reason, it is not necessary for all victims to rely on the same officials after a sexual assault. 

With the current state of the issue of sexual assaults on college students, it is evident that some sort of action needs to be done to decrease the rates of this common crime. In an article on campus rape reports, Joseph Shapiro claimed "the number of 'forcible rapes' that get reported at four-year colleges increased 49 percent between 2008 and 2012" (Shapiro). The author then goes on to explain that this is a positive thing, as it means more victims are willing to actually report their case. The current issue though is that reported or not, sexual assaults just need to come to an end. One way this can be accomplished is by the adoption of affirmative consent by the University of South Carolina. The adoption of this policy will not do any good though if the students at the university are not educated on the subject of affirmative consent. Students need to know what it is and what it means for them as a student under the new policy in order for it to be effective at the university. In Eliza Gray's article, she claims "reform efforts at colleges across the country have included healthy sexual-relationship training for incoming freshmen, bystander-awareness training to teach students to step in to stop sexual assault, climate surveys and changes in college-disciplinary-board rules" ("Role of 'Verbal Coercion' in Sexual Assault"). These are all positive ways to increase education of sexual assault and more specially, consent. Gray also digs in a little deeper to what exactly climate surveys are, as they are being used by many colleges across the country. A statement made by Holly Rider-Milkovich in Gray's article states, "The purpose of climate surveys is to figure out areas where the specific campus needs to focus new efforts" ("Role of 'Verbal Coercion' in Sexual Assault"). The surveys are basically being used to get a realistic picture of what's happening on that particular campus. In addition to educating the students on affirmative consent, they also need to be informed of all the resources that the university has available for bystanders, victims, friends of victims, and students who just want to know more about consent. Sexual assault resources are something that the university tries to make known as much as possible, but unfortunately it is not what most students jump to at the sight of a poster or flyer. Many students are embarrassed or maybe intimidated to connect with university officials on the subject of consent, which is why students need to be reminded and welcomed to become involved with the issue. In 2014, President Barack Obama announced to the United States that the White House was launching a sexual assault campaign called "It's On Us". In President Obama's speech, he said, "And it's not just men who should intervene. Women should also speak up when something doesn't look right, even if the men don't like it. It's all of us taking responsibility. Everybody has a role to play" (Obama 452). Here, President Obama is asking the entire country to take a pledge to help end sexual assault, as it is a national issue that every community should be involved with. Through the adoption of affirmative consent, sexual assault will be seen in a whole new way. It will be seen in a way in which the University of South Carolina has a smaller percent of victims on campus. It will decrease the number of sexual assaults due to a better understanding and a clearer definition of what consent is and is not. If a student is sexually assaulted, affirmative consent will more easily provide them with justice from their assaulter. "Yes means yes" is much more clear and reasonable than "no means no" ever will be. 

In conclusion, affirmative consent at the University of South Carolina will not only provide a better understanding for students on what consent is, but it will also decrease the number of sexual assaults on students in the Gamecock family. With sexual assault being such a big issue among college students, it is important that a change is made to decrease the amount of victims involved in this type of assault. The numbers of sexual assaults on college campuses have been very steady over the last 60 years, providing all the more reason to try a new approach. Affirmative consent has so much more potential than the previous "no means no" policy due to the more evident factors that define consent provided in the "yes means yes" policy. With this, affirmative consent needs to be put into place at the university while making sure that education on affirmative consent is provided for all students at the university. In addition, students need to be reminded that resources are always available and that the students are welcome anytime. Everyone coming together to fight for the end of a common and underreported crime through the adoption of affirmative consent will push the issue of sexual assault in a positive direction. 

