When most people go off to college, the furthest thing from their mind is the potential that they could be sexually assaulted. Unfortunately, sexual assault on campus is not an uncommon occurrence. It happens more often than we even realize, but we have the power to change that.
The It's On Us campaign is a national movement that helps to bring awareness to the problem of sexual assault on college campuses. This past week, many events were put on around Hope's campus to help students and faculty become more informed and aware of what they can do to help. In the Pine Grove, there was a field of pinwheels stuck in the ground. Each pinwheel represented one person who had been sexually assaulted on a college campus. It is estimated that one in five women and one in 16 men will be sexually assaulted at some point during their time in college. The pinwheels covered the Pine Grove creating a powerful visual representation of how prevalent this problem is.
We need to take action and vow to change those statistics. If you see or hear something, do something about it! Don't be a passive bystander. You could be helping save someone's life just by telling someone you trust. Hope's Students Teaching and Empowering Peers, also known as S.T.E.P., aims to help educate those around campus, empower students to become active bystanders, rather than passive, and positively effect campus-wide change. They offer bystander training and tips on how to handle if you're ever in a situation where you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted. We can't be silent anymore. We need to stand up for those who feel like they don't have a voice and solve this problem. If we all band together and promise to say something, we can dramatically change the statistics and end sexual assault. No one should be afraid of walking around on campus. We're supposed to provide a safe environment but in order for that to happen, we all have to make a change. Speak up because you never know who you could be helping.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, go to http://www.hope.edu/resources/sexualharassment to learn who to talk to. You can also go to www.itsonus.org to take the pledge and join the movement to help end sexual assault.
