About a week ago, Hunter College made the news after an unidentified man groped one of their students on the 6 train, then followed her onto the campus. He was seen pushing aside the ID operated turnstile and walking in undetected. In addition, Brock Turner has been released from his three month jail sentence while David Becker has received his sentence (two years probation) for raping two women. All of these cases surround the topic of sexual assault and there may be a lot more cases than what is told.

Sexual assault is an ongoing worldwide issue. If it were a disease, it would be a pandemic. Sexual assault according to the United States Department of Justice is “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.” RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) claims that every 2 minutes in America, someone is sexually assaulted. That is about 30 people per hour. If one is between the ages of 12 and 34, they have the highest risk of being sexually assaulted. One out of every six females has either been raped or was the victim of an attempted rape. 1 out of every 10 rape victims are male. If one is transgender, genderqueer, or non-conforming the chances of being sexually assaulted are much higher. Basically, just being alive and human puts everyone at risk. None of the statistics say stuff like wearing a skirt increases one’s chance of being sexual assaulted or people who drink alcohol, (about 87 percent of the population) have a much higher risk of being sexually assaulted compared to the near 13 percent that don't drink.

Sexual assault happens when one does not understand the word NO, one does not empathize with the fact that a person cannot give consent, and/or one simply doesn't care. Just because one is drunk, does not mean the answer is yes. Just because someone is unconscious, does not mean the answer is not no. If one is in an environment where people are drinking recreationally and getting high off of drugs and someone is unconscious, their pants and skirts should still be on and their bodies untouched. Maybe it would be better if one could take out that portable device people use to call other people who are far away, and call 911. Just because someone made out with someone in the past, doesn’t mean they want to make out with the same person now. Sex, just like other activities, can be postponed and completely stopped. It may be frustrating, but the world wouldn’t stop, so it is not the end.

If someone is the the middle of having sex or making out and someone says either one of these words yet the act continues, it is sexual assault. If the person has any of these symptoms, they cannot give consent and sex would not be called sex, it would be called rape. Also, just because an area is crowded, does not mean one can put the Johnny Bravo moves on someone. The genitals and the bust areas are called privates for a reason. If one is born with privates, they are only allowed to touch those privates unless someone else with privates gives them consent to touch their bodies. People don’t wear certain clothes to receive the touch of someone else's hands. Only 5 percent of people wash their hands properly and one can’t tell just by looking. Also, not everyone likes to be touched, especially by strangers, so please, stop Selena Gomez-ing and keep your hands to yourself. Last, but not least, one is not entitled to anything despite of gender, sex, social status, and financial status. Just because someone’s Mommy or Daddy said something, does not make it true (ex-Santa Claus believers are probably familiar with this).

These percentages could go down simply if more people understood that “No, Nein, and Nyet” could be expressed in silence. Sexual assault is damaging and a lot of cases go unreported, either due to fear of the perpetrator or fear of not being taken seriously. The main message is “Keep thy hands to thyself, Amen” unless given consent. It could save a lot of heartbreak.