Sexual Assaults On College Campuses Essay

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The United States is facing a growing problem that shows no signs of slowing: sexual assaults on college campuses. Possible reasons for this epidemic are explained by Janet Napolitano, the current president of the University of California. She describes that “young adults live independently and in close proximity to one another for the first time” while attending college (Napolitano 387). The college setting provides students with opportunities to take advantage of one another. As a result, sexual assaults have become an issue across universities in the United States. Sexual assaults are a problem because they can have lasting effects on victims. It is the job of both the government and colleges to find solutions to the problem, by preventing …show more content…

Because these crimes have great impacts on lives, it is necessary that problem be eliminated. There are two aspects to solving the issue at hand, increased government intervention and increased efforts by universities to prevent sexual assaults. The former has already begun to happen. Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, explains that “institutions of higher education have seen an explosion in new requirements imposed by the Department of Education, Congress, and state legislatures” (Napolitano 392). These requirements force colleges to take certain steps in protecting students from potential danger. Though these regulations help prevent sexual assault, they focus mainly on how a reported case is handled. Because of this, current government regulations are not enough to solve the issue at hand. Gray mentions how the White House wants to mandate annual surveys that provide unbiased information about sexual assaults (Gray 27). These surveys will allow the government to accurately determine the number of cases each year, because students complete them anonymously. Even if government regulations help improve the issue, universities still must find ways to prevent sexual assault on