The Problem With Rape On College Campuses

With today’s society full of miniskirts, crop tops, push-up bras, and everything in between, it seems like sex appeal can be found in almost all aspects of life. The girl with the tight skirt and barely-there top walking through the college campus late one night is jumped by a man, held against her will, and viciously abused and raped.

Some people believe that the way a woman dresses makes her more susceptible to be raped, while others argue that no woman, man, or child, is ever asking to be raped or sexually assaulted. This issue has become especially predominant on college campuses. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 15 percent of women on college campuses are raped each year and only 20 percent of the women abused reported the incident. Colleges have begun to discuss these crimes and how they can prevent them from happening, making sure they do not go unreported or unpunished without professional help.

According to Oxford Dictionary, rape is “the crime, typically committed by a man, of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with the offender against their will." A rape occurs about every two minutes. The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey states that there are on average 237,868 victims of rape every year. Rape is no longer something that goes unspoken or hidden in today’s society. It can be seen anywhere from TV shows, to books, to movies and the news. It is widely discussed and talked about. People have many different feelings about this topic, but no one can seem to find exactly how to stop or solve it.

In society today attending college seems to have become a norm and many jobs cannot be attained without a college degree. College offers many new and exciting opportunities to both men and women alike, but unfortunately, there are many dangers that women face when entering into their new lives. One of these dangers is a sexual predator. It is evident that colleges that inform their students of the crime of acquaintance rape, precautionary behaviors to avoid being a victim of rape, and what procedures to take if a rape or sexual assault does occur have lower rape rates on their campuses. In a college survey, approximately 50 percent of the young men interviewed confessed that they had acted in a form of sexual aggression towards their date.

There are several different ways that women can drastically increase their likelihood of avoiding rape. Whether at a party or a bar, everyone must be careful to avoid rape. One major step can be to follow the “buddy system.” This is where a female makes a pact with a friend to stay together and watch out for one another. It can help to keep individuals out of unsafe situations.

Some other ways are to avoid the consumption of too much alcohol, especially when others are highly intoxicated. Girls must be cautious when accepting drinks from others because they then put themselves at risk of being drugged. If a woman does follow all of these steps, there is always a possibility that rape can still occur. If it does, the victim must know the appropriate steps to follow to preserve all of the evidence that would be needed to press charges. Any clothing that was worn by the rapist or the victim can be used as evidence and the victim should refrain from showering, bathing, or urinating because all of these things also wash away valuable ways to identify the suspect.

Rape seems to be an issue that is constantly being discussed and talked about. Whether it’s towards a man, woman, or child there seems to be controversy. Young men and women taking their first steps of freedom at colleges or universities are at an even bigger risk. Alcohol and drug usage only make it worse. Between partying and bar hopping, these young men and women are putting themselves, unfortunately, into situations where they can become victims of rape. Colleges have begun to take steps to make sure these terrible crimes end on their campuses and are educating young women on how to avoid them, while also addressing the argument of whether the victim was “asking for it.”