Sexual Assault Issues Summary

SUMMARY The article starts explaining the issue of sexual assault in American society and what are some ways in which the government and institutions have tried to handle it. It goes further and explains how sexual assault represents a public health problem. It narrows the issue till it gets to the point of affirmative sexual consent which is the main topic linked to sexual assault. The definition of affirmative consent provided by the article is “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity” (Jozkowski 2016). The article details the different policies in which college campuses and lawmakers have addressed the problem of sexual assault. For instance, a California bill that requires all institutions receiving state funds to implement affirmative consent (Jozkowski 2016). Some critiques of affirmative consent are also addressed in the articles

When I first hear Dr. J talking about that I saw it as a boring topic to talk about in a sexuality course. HOW WRONG I WAS! I guess I thought that way because sexual assaults have never been part of my life and I grew up far away from that. It was not an issue in my environment in my country and it has never been an issue in my relationships. We –too often- ignore those things that do not affect us. However, because something is not part of our life, it does not mean it will not affect us or will never do. Sexual assault is an issue many people have to deal with –especially around me while I am in college. I am really impressed with the number of people that have told me they were victims of a sexual assault. I make me wonder about the role I play in this or about how I can help (especially in my career as a psychologist). An interesting reflection I made was about how much I should value every time a girl consents to have sex. Consensual sex is a right but also a privilege we –especially men- should treasure and