Recently, a friend of mine made a very brave decision to share her story on social media. Her post began with six bold, straightforward, and heart-wrenching words: “I was raped in high school."

It didn’t stop there, though; immediately following her sexual assault, she was blamed for it by, of all people, the mother of her assailant.

It still didn’t stop there. I continued to read through the comments on her post only to find that several women on her friends list had commented and shared that they too have been raped.

Jordan also shared that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I had no idea that there was such a thing, so I am posting to spread the word. I did a Google search and found the official website here.

Here are some of the alarming statistics that I found on the site:

• Nearly 1 in 5 women in the United States have experienced rape or attempted rape some time in their lives (Black et al., 2011).
• Nearly 3 out of 4 adolescents (74 percent) who have been sexually assaulted were victimized by someone they knew well. One-fifth (21.1 percent) of the assaults were committed by a family member (Kilpatrick, Saunders, & Smith, 2003).
• The majority of sexual assaults, an estimated 63 percent, are never reported to the police (Rennison, 2002).

The mission is this: prevention IS possible. How? Well, it is easy for anyone with any sense to say that it is simple. Because, after all, it really is. Keep it in your pants, men. No means no.

Unfortunately, not everyone possesses basic common sense and/or they lack a moral compass to prevent them from making such horrific decisions. It’s a sad world that we live in. That being said, people, like Jordan, are beginning to stand up and speak out about it. People are taking notice of what rape culture is and how to end it. Here are a few of Jordan’s tips:

“I made a short list of things that cause rape:
1. RAPISTS
There it is. That's my list. Because that's the only cause.
What can we do about it?
- Raise awareness.
- Acknowledge that rape-culture does exist.
- Stop teaching how not to get raped, and start teaching not. to. rape.
- Stop derailing the conversation by victim-blaming.”

What is rape culture? According to Marshall University, the definition is as follows: “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety."

Under no circumstance should a woman ever be blamed when she is the victim of sexual assault. That is doing nothing but rubbing salt in an open wound. There is no such thing as “asking for it”—no means no.

Boys (because they do not deserve the title of “men” no matter what their age) who pressure women to be passive and not to be “cold” contribute to rape culture. People are poking fun at women who turn men down by calling them names and shaming them for saying no. Women should not be expected to be passive and accept every sexual advance that comes their way. This has to stop.

Boys peer pressuring other boys to have sex in order to appear “manly” needs to stop.

Assuming that women who get raped are whoring around needs to stop.

Oh, and rape jokes are never funny. Ever.

Last but not least, stop objectifying women. Women are not sexual objects, women are people. People who fall victim to sexual assault every single day partially due to the way that the media portrays them—objects to satisfy sexual desires.

What can you do? Do not be afraid to say no. Do not be afraid to report to authorities if you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted. If you see or hear an inappropriate conversation or advance taking place, intervene to stop it. Men, don’t be afraid to share with boys what qualities a REAL man possesses. Do not accept rape culture as a societal norm—combat it. Model and promote respectful behaviors. Never, ever blame the victim. Instead, provide support. Stop inflating false reports and focus on the larger issue of real reports and the lack thereof due to women being afraid.

Do not stop talking about it. There is strength in numbers—hence my purpose for writing this article on a platform that has the potential to be widely shared.

Information can be shared as an employer in the workplace, a teacher at school, a parent to a child, a friend to a friend, etc. Everyone plays a role in prevention, large or small.

Thank you, Jordan, for sharing your story and inspiring me to write this article. I hope it goes far.