How can girls feel comfortable on their college campuses when one in four girls report being sexually assaulted while in college? Take a moment and think: at least one girl you know has most likely been sexually assaulted while at college. With this statistics in mind, we must also remember that not every girl even reports being sexually assaulted.
And why am I talking about this? As a female who is currently attending college, I believe it is important to make people understand the impact sexual assaults have had on the girls who have been victims.
I just like any other college student, I hate going to required talks about the widespread epidemic of sexual assaults on college campuses. We might be bored and just want the talk to be over. However, it is so important for us to realize why these talks are required and the purpose to have them. Think about someone you love, like a sister or a best friend. Think of what you would do if that loved one was sexually assaulted and think about the physical as well as mental impact it had on them. Now, before you go out keep that in your head and make decisions based on that idea throughout your night. This is especially important since there have been countless cases in recent news about rape trials such as the Brock Turner case.
When the word rape comes to mind, most people think of a stranger attacking someone in a dark alley. However, in most cases of sexual assault, the victims know their predator prior to the incident. Some people do not take sexual assault seriously and take it lightly. However, sexual assault ruins peoples lives. I believe most people would say, "I would never sexually assault anyone, how could anyone ever do that?" While, I hope most of us would say that, it is still our responsibility to prevent sexual assaults from happening by taking action even if it might be a little uncomfortable.
How many times have we gone to a college party and seen a guy bringing a really drunk girl home? I'd say one too many. Instead of bringing that girl home ourselves, we might laugh or look down upon her. From living on a college campus, I don't believe many people understand the extent of what sexual assault means. Bringing a girl back when she is too drunk to consent is 100% sexual assault. Due to many people not taking sexual assault seriously, many girls will most likely never report such an incident. It is important for us as a college community to not be bystanders and instead take action in preventing sexual assaults on our campuses. One drunken mistake may not only ruin your life, but ruin someone else's.
