The topic of sexual assault has always been an interesting one to me. Being a young adult living on a college campus, the thought of sexual assault crosses my mind more often than I would've thought. Is it because I don't feel safe? Am I scared that young male adults, or even young female adults, are targeting me? Or is it because we don't speak about it as much as we should?

Sexual assault is no joke, and I personally feel it is brushed off and pushed to the side until something really serious comes up, which shouldn't be the case at all. Until recently, I hadn't really thought of why sexual assault wasn't spoken about and why it wasn't ever something we discussed. When the video of Donald Trump speaking about woman in very graphic and sexual ways went viral, my mind started to spin. Was he, someone running to be president of our country, seriously saying it is okay to just 'kiss a girl, don't even wait' without her permission? Or how about how he says 'you can do anything'? If you don't know the video I am talking about, here is the link.

As a female, I feel it is my obligation to speak on something so serious because it happens on college campuses, and everywhere, every. single. day. One in five woman are sexually assaulted while being at college. One in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while being at college. Why is it that it seems woman are at a higher risk of getting sexually assaulted? Every day I am reminded to keep my eyes open, make sure I get myself a pepper spray for night time walks through campus, and to be cautious with what I wear because my outfits may signify that I'm 'asking for it'. Since when did clothes decide that I am asking to get raped. Who asks for that? No one.

Things like:

"I used a condom so that means she said yes"

"Her clothes looked like she was asking for it"

"She couldn't say no because I went for it anyways"

"She was too drunk to even know what was going on"

Are all things that people say, yet don't recognize the consequences that come with saying so.

In many cases, sexual assault happens while under the influence of alcohol. I don't know how often we need to remind one another that no means no. Regardless of what the situation may be, if you do not get one's consent, it is indeed rape. Yes, you will get those people who claim they got raped while being drunk but actually weren't, but sexual assault is NO joke.

And do NOT get me started on Brock Turner. A college student, raped and mentally destroyed a young college woman and was released just months later. Please think about this. A young woman's rapist is back roaming the streets like nothing happened, while she has to live with the fact that he's free from jail after taking advantage of her. While in jail, Turner was asked to think about the situation. When released just three months after entering the California jail, Brock was asked if he would recognize the girl he assaulted and his response? "Uh, probably not." Brock had claimed all the situation was him 'trying to hook-up with a girl' and that 'they both were so drunk so they had no idea what they were doing.' Brock Turner's victim had no idea she had even been sexually assaulted until the doctors at the hospital told her that she was. She then realized she had woken up to pine needles in her hair and had been getting numerous parts of her skin tested. She had to find out exactly what happened by reading an article on the situation. And, according to Brock Turner, she liked it. No. She did not like it. You enjoyed yourself because you didn't realize the consequences that were going to come from this situation. You thought you were going to get off the hook because you didn't realize this incident was going to get reported.

Brock Turner's victim has released a really powerful letter. A letter stating exactly how she feels about the horrible situation. The power behind the letter is crazy. She mentions how she feels alone and vulnerable and that she just happened to be the girl he chose that night. If it wasn't her, it was going to be someone else. How sad is that? A young, college male felt the need to sexually attack a girl just to 'get his fix' for the night. Those who sexually assault never think about how the victim will be affected by the situation. She's going to be mentally destroyed for the rest of her life, thanks to Brock Turner.

So why do we feel like sexual assault isn't a topic we should speak more about? Why don't college campuses, and even high schools, bring up sexual assault and what to do in those situations? Is it because it's more common than we think and brush it off? Or is it because we're too involved with the thought that 'that would never happen to someone we know'? Why. Don't. We. Speak?

For more information on sexual assault or if you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, please call the following number: 1-800-656-4673