SexualAssaultofU.S.

WomenonCollegeCampuses
AsofSeptember2015,morethan27%offemaleseniorsincollegehave
reportedthattheyhavebeeninasituationofunwantedsexualcontactwithinthepast
threeyears.Sexualassaultincollegehasbecomesuchabigproblemthatithas
escalatedtothefederallevel,astheWhiteHouseisnowtryingtoinstituteprogramsto
reducethethenumberofgirlsfromsexualassault.RAINN(Rape,Abuse,andIncest
NationalNetwork)istheleadinggrouptohelpfindasolutiontosexualassaultand
throughresearchandsurveysoncollegecampuses,theyhavefoundoutthat90%of
rapesatcollegeareonlyrunby3%ofcollegemen.RAINNbelievesthatasolution
wouldbeifcollegeseducatestudentsaboutbystanderintervention,whatsexual
consentis,andriskreductionmessaging.Ideally,thesemajormethodswillbeinitiated
inallcollegesintheU.S.andthestaggeringnumberofgirlswhohavebeenreportedto
gothroughsexualassaultincollegedecreasesdramaticallyoverthenextfewyears.
Anytypeofsexualharassmentisaccountedasasocialinjusticebecauseitisnot
givingfairtreatmenttothevictimandisoppressinghisorherrightsasahumanbeing.
Whenitisbeingdoneonsuchalargescale,suchasthewomenattendingcollegesit
showsthatthisisnotananomalyandiscausedbyaspecificgroupofpeople.Given
thefactthat90%ofrapesincollegeareby3%ofthecollegemen,thecauseofthe
largenumberofsexualharassmentcasesisduetothesespecificuneducated,young
menwhodonotknowwhatsexualconsentisandhavenotbeenabletoadapttoliving
alone.Asaresult,anabsurdnumberofwomenareaffectedwiththeemotional,social,
andphysicalstressofbeingharassedandobtainingafeelingoflosingalltheir

inalienablerightsasahumanbeing.Forinstance,manyofthesewomenstarttofeel
trappedandalonepostasexualharassmentincidentanddonotreportittocollege
authoritiesoranypolicestation.Giventhishorrificstateofmindthatthewomenhaveto
gothroughandnotbeingabletoreportit,manyofthesemengounharmedanddonot
stopwhattheyaredoing.Sincethesemenarenotbeingreprehendedfortheiractions
theeffectisthattheyaregoingtobeabletorepeattheiractionstootherfemales.The
overallconsequencesofthesocialinjusticeofsexualharassmenttotheseyounggirls
attendingcollegeisthattheyareinsituationswheretheylosetheirsenseoffreedom
andequalityasanAmerican.Furthermore,theyhavetogothroughtheposttraumatic
stressthatcancauseharmtotheiridentities,whichisespeciallydamagingsincethey
areinatimeperiodoftransitioningintoadulthoodandarestilldevelopingwhotheyare
andwhattheybelievein.
Therolesweplayisabigcomponentthatispresentedinthesocialinjusticeof
thehighlevelsofsexualassaultwomenfaceincollege.AstheprogramRAINNhas
foundisthatthebiggestwaytostopsexualassaultisbyteachingthestudentswhatis
sexualconsentandhowasabystandershouldnotletthisinjusticehappen.Bymaking
sureallstudentsrealizethattheyashumanbeingshavetheresponsibilitytoprotect
oneanotherwhensomeoneisbeingviolatedandlosingrightsthatshouldneverbelost.
Also,bygivingthestudentstheinformationofwhatissexualassaultandthedamaging
effectsithasonwomenwillgivethesestudentstheroleofbeingastudentwhodoes
nothurtandtraumaticallyhurtoneanother.Theeducationprocessforthestudentson
whotheyareandwhattypeofstudenttheyshoulddisplay,especiallywhenitcomesto

interactingwithotherstudents,isaviablesolutiontopreventingrepeatingsexual
assaultandthusiswhytherolesweplayaspeopleisthebiggestthemetostop
preventingthistypeofsocialinjustice.