As many have heard, Lady Gaga recently presented a new video titled "Till It Happens To You." This powerful music video tells a story of various college women who have been sexually abused by someone they know or a complete stranger, each one has the demon to face and how they are going to face it.

The video begins with a warning to the audience stating, "The following contains graphic content that may be emotionally unsettling but reflects the reality of what is happening daily on college campuses." It then fast-forwards to the opening scene of an eerie figure of a woman walking around the halls of a typical college dorm, all seems well when we glimpse into the room of a girl playing the piano with her friend who happens to be male. Things seem goofy and silly as they play the piano and push and shove each other playfully, until the male character pushes the girl into the wall and forcefully abuses her sexually.

Immediately you are in shock at what has happened, the message was right, you become upset and appalled; did this just really happen that quickly? Yes, it did.

And it happens even that quick in real life too, it only takes one playful shove or further in the video a date rape drugged slipped into your cup at a party. Closer to the end of the video you see the last scene filled with men and women who have been assaulted coming out together arm and arm as one, a pack of survivors. At the end of the film it talks about how only "One in five women will be sexually assaulted this year unless something changes."

Did you know only 3% of women who are sexually assaulted report their assault? Many feel like they will be shunned by their peers or parental figures, others believe the perpetrator will strike again if words gets out they told on them, many feel it's their fault. Nowadays our society blames women for the cause of sexual assault. They tell us "boys will be boys" and that girls should watch how they "dress" in front of guys because they are leading them on if they wear something skimpy. Did you ever think that the term "boys will be boys" is complete bullcrap? I do.

So instead of blaming women for dressing how they want and being who they are, why don't we teach young men to see women as human beings and not play toys for them when they get frisky or bored. I'm an aunt and you better believe how terrified I am for my nieces to grow up in a world like this, with society shaming women for being apposed "sluts" because one girl wore a dress that just barely is above her kneecap, went to a party, and wound up raped because she gave a guy a seductive "signal" with her outfit. It's time to teach young and older men to respect a women's body and mind, it is time to teach women to say "no" and ask for help, it is time to step out of this box of being scared to report a problem and or live in a world where the slightest length of a dress determines a women's fate.

Remember even if I refer to most of the victims in this article as women, this can happen to guys and LGBTQ's as well. IT can happen to anyone. As the video states if you or someone you know has been through this please get them on the right track to getting help by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

Thanks for reading! Cheers