Sexual Assault In College

Imagine a college freshman is studying with a friend when suddenly the true intentions of the friend are made apparent. A guy is having a great time at a party until a girl he does not know forces herself upon him. A weak and tired girl is trying to make it back to her dorm room on a Saturday night when a group of frat boys discover her. All of these stories seem different, but they end in the same way: sexual assault. Assault can happen to anyone, anywhere, regardless of gender or age. Sexual assault occurs frequently in college yet about “90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault” ("Statistics About Sexual Violence"). Although the majority of people are under the assumption that the assault is the fault of

Many people are quick to say that it will not happen to them, yet the statistics are shockingly high, especially for women, meaning that anyone can become a victim. Rana Sampson, a national problem-oriented policing consultant, reports that “women ages 16 to 24 experience rape at rates four times higher than the assault rate of all women making the college (and high school) years the most vulnerable for women.” This reveals how important it is that students should be taught to be aware of sexual assault so they can be able to identify it, stop it, and report it. Furthermore, most students believe they are safe from sexual predators, however, they are undoubtedly unaware that the attackers are typically acquaintances of the victim. According to a survey conducted by psychologist Mary Koss and her colleagues, 84% of those raped claimed to have known their attacker as prior to the incident, typically as a normal friend (Curtis). It is a common misperception that victims of acquaintance rape lie because they have regrets after consensual sex, however acquaintance rape is not a lie and it occurs to many students in America. Colleges should educate their students so that they are not unaware of what it means to commit sexual assault. According to a study by The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, “84

Many people try to argue against these statistics, stating that the studies are not compiled properly, regardless of the fact that multiple studies have reached this same conclusion. However, no perfect study is necessary to reveal that sexual assault is truly a threat to college students across America and that it needs to be dealt with. Colleges should require students to take a class on sexual assault so the students will be educated, because informing these students could help spread awareness and reduce sexual assault in college. Sexual assault has always been a very hushed topic and society rarely confronts it and the dangers it could cause, yet it needs to become a world-wide discussion so that it can be prevented in the future. Since blame is often placed on the victim of sexual assault, America should ensure that students are aware of sexual assault and how college rape culture is encouraging it, and that sexual assault is never