Did you know that?
- 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted while in college.
- 63% of men who have admitted to committing an assault said that they have committed an average of six attacks each.
- 1 in 71 men have been raped during their life time.
- Repeat victimization occurs in 1/3 of women who have been sexually assaulted.
- Individuals with disabilities, undocumented citizen, and members of the LGBTQAI communities, homeless and individuals with varying social identities are at greater risk for sexual assaults.
- Survivors of sexual assaults often struggle with mental health issues and substance, which can hamper their ability to succeed in college.
Sexual violence and gender-based power violence often times go under or unreported, this is due in part the lack of university and colleges ability to effectively respond to such incidents. For example, there is a lack of polices, programs and support resources in place. Many college campuses have not created a safe space for students to report sexual and/or gender based crimes. In addition, students and even staff may fear retaliation, shame, guilt, embarrassment and lack of support.
Sexual violence on college campuses is such a huge problem that in January, 2014, The White House developed a task force to address this issue. In, April, 2014, The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault identified four (4) key action areas to help assist colleges and universities with creating safer environments.
In order to effectively address sexual violence of college and university campuses, the administration and students must take a more proactive role in addressing the four (4) key action areas which include: 1) Better reporting, 2) Better prevention, 3) Better response to sexual assault when it occurs, and 4) More transparent federal enforcement. Additionally, campuses must form partnerships with the communities surrounding the campus to mobilize and create safer campuses and communities for students and staff.
In order to make our college and university campuses safer, change must happen on many levels. “No more turning a blind eye or pretending that it doesn’t exist.”
Speak Up! Speak Out! Speak Often! Speak Positively!
