In case you all don’t know, consent is defined as:
“1: to give assent or approval : agree <consent to being tested>
2. archaic : to be in concord in opinion or sentiment,” by Merriam Webster. For kids it’s defined as: “Function: verb : to express willingness or approval.”
Now that we have that out of the way, I can get into my topic for this week. I am a Safesite Advocate. I am partnered with Advocates For Youth, which in turn is partnered with Trojan and the Great American Condom Campaign. From the AFY website, “The Great American Condom Campaign is a youth-led grassroots movement to reduce unintended pregnancies and the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections by normalizing condom use on college and university campuses. Students from across the country apply to become SafeSites, individual condom distribution points, and receive a box of 500 Trojan condoms to distribute to their peers. SafeSites are also tasked with educating their peers about safer sex and advocating on campus and within their community for the sexual and reproductive health rights of young adults,” which basically means that I push for awareness for safe sex, consent, and sexual health education.
Why is this such an important topic to me? Because TOO MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH OR CONSENT AND IT IS TIME TO CHANGE THAT.
Because 1 IN 5 WOMEN AND 1 IN 16 MEN ARE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED WHILE IN COLLEGE. Of these crimes, some 90% are NEVER REPORTED
Picture your normal high school sized class- 25-30. Let’s say it’s equally split down the middle on gender (15 female, 15 male). Of these students, your peers, yourself, 3 of the females will be sexually assaulted when at college, and on average 1 of the males will be also. On average, 3.6 people of the 4 will not report the assault.
Because In one year 300,000 college women, over 5% of women enrolled in colleges and universities, were raped. This is not including any other forms of sexual assault. Just rape.
Imagine Berea College’s student population. Roughly 1600 last time I checked. That means each student would be raped 187.5 times. You would be raped 187.5 times. Not to mention the part of the population who also would be sexually assaulted in other ways.
Because every year in the United States, 1,270,000 women experience rape
Using the same equation above with Berea’s student population, you would be raped 793.75 times. And that’s men and women. Not just women, as the statistic says.
Because nearly two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment, and less than 10% of these students tell a college or university employee.
LET ME GIVE YOU A TIP: IT IS.
Because among college women, 9 out of 10 victims of sexual assault knew the person who sexually assaulted them.
Everyone is someone’s brother, sister, daughter, son, boyfriend, girlfriend, lover. You. Never. Know. What. Someone. Has. Gone. Through. That new friend/boyfriend/girlfriend (OR EVEN YOUR SIBLINGS) that you think is the best person ever? They could be a rapist. You could be that 1 in 5.
Because 30% of colleges and universities offered no training on sexual assault to students nor law enforcement officers.
Berea College is one of those 30%. Let me say that again, the college that I attend, does not offer training on sexual assault to its students, as it says it does on the college website.
I will leave you with this to ponder:
