What do you know about sexual assault and rape? Do you know how many women or men are assaulted a year? Or how many college students are assaulted? According to a study done last year, one in four women are raped and one in every sixteen men are assaulted as well. (“Facts about Sexual Violence”) This static is scary but real. In today’s society people think that rape will not happen to them. They think that if they are safe at night or in unfamiliar places then it will not happen, but the disturbing truth is that most rapes that occur are done by someone the victim already knows. When you are growing up you were always taught to be careful about what happens at parties, be careful walking somewhere by yourself at night, or even on social media, but no one every prepares you how to handle being drugged, or being raped by a friend you’ve had for years, or even just being stalked on social media by someone. On college campuses there are some workshops and programs that are teaching women how not to get raped, for example don’t drink too much or always stay with a friend or watch your drink at all times. While these things are important, why aren’t we doing more on campuses. Sexual assault on college campuses has risen tremendously throughout the years and will continue to do so if we do not do something about it. When it comes to sexual assault on college campuses there are a few things we can consider and work towards, that being getting help for those who have been assaulted, bring support and awareness to everyone effect, as well as not stereotyping the situation with women and alcohol. 

Once someone is sexually assaulted it is very hard for them to trust again and to feel safe. There needs to be more comfort in reporting these assaults to the police and to the college or university you attend so that they can help you. In a social inquiry, Rhonda Dobbs says that ““women fear crime” and the “fear of crime is the fear of rape”.” (Dobbs,Rhonda) How is it that we live in a world that women have to fear their safety when they are out in public. So many women feel like they should carry some type of protection such as pepper spray or even a gun and you cannot blame them. If we are going by the statics, I live with three other girls so statically one of us would be raped and that is a very scary thing to think about that it could be you or someone so close to you. That is why colleges need to have special programs in place for rape victims. Women or men should want to report their assault to the police or to someone and not be afraid of someone not believing them. It is absurd that people will not report an assault because they know the police will do nothing about it or that they will not be trusted. I want to bring awareness on my campus and have programs that can help people that have been raped on college campuses to let them know it does happen frequently and it happens with men and women. Sadly, rape goes unreported, especially in men because they feel ashamed and embarrassed. Another reason people do not want the police to get involved, is because they might have been drinking or they try to just ignore the situation and move on. As a woman who goes to parties or goes out on the weekends or just goes places on her own and things can so easily happen that I feel awareness should be made. It is not even the fact of being somewhere alone, most rapes are someone you know or someone you have been in contact with before and being a large university that is concerning. I feel as if rape is rape, whether it’s a man or woman and that you cannot blame the victim for being intoxicated, wearing provocative clothing, being friendly, or saying “yes” sober or before the actual time. People should be well educated about assault and how to handle the time period before and the after effects and through programs at the university we could make that possible. The goal on campuses should be to allow people to feel safe and to express how they feel and to be helped by the situation. For example, in the 2014 Table 9 Crime report, which listed all crimes that were reported at the at the University of South Carolina Columbia campus. In 2014 there was one reported rape at the university. (“2014 Table 9 Crime”) Only one reported rape. When I read this report I was completely shocked. I just feel that there were probably more rapes that occurred in 2014 but they were not just reported. When I looked at the amount of rapes on other college campuses compared to those at the University of South Carolina we had so little but I honestly think that is just because the assaults are not reported. For the other articles, they all agree saying that things go unnoticed and that statically speaking, someone in the US is raped every two minutes and that 1 in 4 college women will be sexually assaulted. (“2014 Table 9 Crime”) By creating a program for Greek life and athletes so they do not catch the bad rap anymore we should be instead of teaching people to “not rape”, offering help to the men that may be getting raped, as well as teaching them to make sure that consent is given and all parties are clear about the situation at hand. Also rape is the most unreported crime. Every year rape cost about 127 billon dollars which is the highest cost crime above assault, drunk driving and even murder. (“Facts about Sexual Violence”)

Another way we can have an impact on college campuses is through Greek communities and through athletics. In an article there were two statement that really stuck out to me one being “Fraternity membership creates a double standard wherein men who have sex are ‘‘studs,’’ and women who have sex are ‘‘sluts’’ (Adams-Curtis & Forbes, 2004).” And the other being “In NCAA Division I schools, such as the university in this study, more male athletes are reported to student judicial boards for sexual assault than any other students (Crosset et al., 1995). (Burnett, Ann) Both of those statement represented facts about Greek life and athletics and showed how men and women can both be victims of sexual assault and how men get overlooked as being the victim sometimes but then others we look at them as the criminal the other. It is just so infatuating that these things can be so different, and yet some people only see one side of the story. Another article was about how women that are raped before college are more likely to be raped again in college. (Fossey, Richard) They also go on to explain why freshman year of college women are more prone to a rape crime because that is what predators are attracted to and younger girls have not been out like that before college.  (“U.S. News & AMP; World Report”) This also discusses the activities that rape occurs under the most and trying not to blame the victim. Through this I want to take a stand for rape on college campuses. This is a large social that is continuing to get worse each year. Not only am I going to be a voice for the 1 in women that are raped on campuses, but for the men that are not able to get the help they need and the awareness that is not shown. Far too often all we do is put the blame on the men that rape these women, and while that stands true, what about the men that get raped themselves. Who is there for them and how to we get them help?? I hope this can bring light to this dark issue and hopefully bring awareness to those that have no idea that this is an issue. Not only does sexual assault effect the victim but what about their friends and family that have to be there for them and worry about their safety after the assault. No one every thinks of the parents that have to watch their child suffer from anger, depression and feeling completely broken after the incident. I think we should put in place programs for the families and friends of victims to teach and show them how to comfort someone after this occurs. It is a trauma and should be treated like one, it should not just be brushed off like it is nothing. 

The final issue that should be addressed about sexual assault is taking away the stereotype of victims on college campuses. It should not just always be assumed that a female is assaulted or that it is someone that is intoxicated. This article is talking about what all articles talk about rape and sexual assault. Stating that alcohol and drugs go hand in hand with college students and rape. Why do we constantly let, “oh he was drunk” or “she was on drugs” define an action that someone takes. Also in the article I found that in a 2006 study funded by the National Institute of Justice found that of the estimated 100,000 sexual assaults reported in the United States each year, about 62 percent were “drug-facilitated” and 5 percent of victims were given date-rape drugs. (College, Melanie) These statics are sickening and while this is a huge issue it should not always be the conclusion we jump too as soon as we hear of an assault. Of the people in the study they took hair and urine samples and 45 different drugs were found.  (College, Melanie) This is such a crazy static to think that this many people are participating or could be a subject of date-rape. But why do we always jump to the conclusion that they victim was drunk, does anyone ever thing that they could have been drugged…no. These types of issues are the ones that need to be brought in the light and everyone to be aware of. Aside from the alcohol and the women, what about the men that are sexually assaulted, who is there for them? We jump to conclusions so easily without checking to see who the real victim is. Every woman is not a victim and every woman is not a rapist, every man is not a victim and every man is not a rapist. That is what everyone needs to see, we have to see from both sides and be there in support of the victim. 

Throughout this movement I hope that it will impact people to wake up and realize the issue that surrounds us every day and to also realize that this could happen to them or someone they know so easily. I hope that people see where every single victim, and their loved ones have to go through. I am hoping that one day this issue can be decreased and eliminated but it all has to start somewhere. We have to start giving support to those who have been effect so more people will feel safe to come forward and we can put a stop to the people that are doing the assaulting. It is not fair to let them walk away so easily once they have damaged someone for life. 
