Doing Your Part in Reducing Campus Sexual Assaults

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics 2016 study, one in five female undergraduates have experienced some kind of sexual assault in college. Furthermore, the Justice Department report said that young women between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely to be raped than any other age group. However, only 20% of the assaults are reported to authorities and many experts believe the number of sexual assaults is closer to 25% for women and 6 to 8% for male students.

It is widely known in higher education that 50% of sexual assaults occur with freshmen and sophomores during “the red zone” — the beginning of a school’s fall term through Thanksgiving vacation.

Thrown together with unknown people, trying to fit in, going to parties and naïve to consequences, our sons and daughters are vulnerable to peer pressure. They miss the signs of predatory behavior or it’s the first time they’re experimenting with alcohol or rushing a Greek fraternity or sorority. Many of them have not had comprehensive sexual education (up to 25% in states and 31% in schools where there is reportedly high religiosity); thus, many students do not know what mutual consent is.

So how do we reduce campus sexual assault? Check with the potential college to see if they have appropriate sexual violence prevention programs including bystander…