Sexual assault on campus is something that we can not ignore. Many have been victims and had their lives changed from an act of another person. Colleges now have blue light, which calls the police once someone presses the button. However, rates haven’t gone down. If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted in college, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

   The Washington Post published an article in April of last year about a former fraternity president at Cornell University who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sex offense and was sentenced to six years of probation.

   Wolfgang Ballinger was 21 and was charged with first-degree attempted rape and  first-degree criminal sex act with helpless victim. Fortunately, the victim was able to report on this to the police . . . but what if she couldn’t?

   According to the Huffington Post, around 1 in 5 women may experience sexual assault at college, and of them, 63% are never reported to the police. Male students aged 18-24 are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault according to website Rainn.

   On campus, women and men are taken advantage of by predators. This could lead to numerous consequences such as PTSD, depression, or anxiety. That could not only ruin a student, but also their college education and college life.

   TheTab states that there have been 800 recorded reports of rape and sexual assault at Arizona State, Auburn, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Florida State, JMU, Ohio State, Princeton, UMich, UVA, the University of Florida, and Virginia Tech, and just under half of those sexual assaults reported on campus take place in freshman housing.

   Unfortunately, even with these daunting statistics, colleges do not emphasize this problem enough, leaving many to go into college without knowing the dangers of what could possibly happen.

  Should sexual assault be mentioned to seniors when picking a college?

  Rutgers currently has a SCREAM Theatre program which performs skits to educate students on issues such as interpersonal violence, specifically on sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, sexual harassment, and bullying. This is linked with the Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, also known as VPVA, which helps victims and provide individual and group counseling, advocacy, court and medical accompaniment, information and referrals, and training and education.

  Lisa Smith, the Coordinator for Domestic Violence at Rutgers University, thinks that education on these issues should absolutely be done in high school. “Our SCREAM Theater often does programs in high school, middle school even,” she said.

   She has been working in the field of interpersonal violence for over twenty years, and handles training sessions on domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, diversity, and LGBT issues. It’s very important for students and even administrators to be aware of sexual assault and look for signs.

      “I think education and awareness are very important. Faculty and staff need to educate themselves first and then share that information with the student body. The college/university/school should have a clear process for holding students accountable as well as counseling and supportive services available,” said Mrs. Smith.

       One would ask, how would one prevent being sexually assaulted on campus? Typical answers include walking with a friend, having pepper spray or mace, or keep your eyes on your drink.

   Mrs. Smith said prevention means holding perpetrators accountable.  “Prevention means being active bystanders,” she said. “If you see something, say something (if it is safe to do so).”

   However, is being an active bystander the only thing we can do to help prevent sexual assaults from increasing?

    Devon Mancini, a college junior currently attending Montclair State, said her old roommate was sexually assaulted by a stalker and refused to report the assault. “The guy scared me since he was stalking her and would come to our door a lot looking for her and he was a physically large man, my other roommate and I were always nervous for her and always tried to get her to go to campus police about him,” she said. “Educate your male friends and female friends of what sexual assault is, how to read consent, and how to treat each other.”

   We can’t remove sexual assault as a whole, but we can find ways to keep ourselves safe from it and avoid committing it. Get friends that stick with you and look out for you in case of bad emergencies. Talk to them, and always have a plan ready in case something happens.

    Consent is huge whether it is in a relationship or just an ordinary friendship. If someone doesn’t say yes, then that means no. Many have either been taken advantage when drunk and can’t refuse even if they wanted to.

    “Don’t be afraid to make a scene or let someone know when you’re uncomfortable with a situation. For males, learn what no means, learn when a girl is in a position where she is too under the influence to give consent, and also always look out for your female friends, if you see something happening, help them. Also understand that it’s possible for a male to be sexually assaulted and not even know it happened, so learn the signs for a toxic woman and also what can happen,” said Devon.

     Sexual assault shouldn’t get in the way of getting out education. Instead we should be educating men and women about consent and the ways on how to help someone in a abusive situation. So, what can you do to help prevent sexual assault?