A stressed college student, Margot, is walking back to her dorm late at night when suddenly she feels a tap on her shoulder. When she turns around, she sees a seemingly kind face of a peer. He offers to walk her to her dorm and asks to come inside. The next day she is still in shock from the night before, she never said no when he came onto her, but she never said yes either. She doesn’t want to cry rape in fear of what people might think. This is the harsh reality for college students all across the United States today. Nobody wants to believe that their child or friend could be guilty of such a harsh, but common crime. The truth is, these crimes happen on a daily basis. Sexual assault has been an issue on college campuses since the early …show more content…
Some believe that saying no should be enough. Critics of the movement believe it is an unattainable standard. Any form of consent should be considered affirmative. Only saying yes is unenforceable and redundant. “-if one partner touches his or her partner in a sexual way, and the person says 'I am not interested tonight,' that person has already committed sexual assault because he or she didn't get permission upfront. It's just not consistent with how adults act (‘Sexual Assault’).” This passage suggests that able minded adults would not be able to make any sexual actions towards each other without it being considered sexual assault. Adults should be able to act as they please as long as they are consenting in some type of way and stop if consent is …show more content…
Hookup culture on college campuses, most likely, is why there is such a panic over sexual assault (“The Campus”). This example suggests that college campuses do not have an issue with rape, but an issue with their students hooking up on a regular basis without having an actual relationship. This creates bigger issues like confusion in communication and misreading of body language. To conclude, “yes means yes” policies do not need to be put in place as all consent should be considered affirmative and it institutes the idea that rape culture is an issue, when in reality it is just hookup
In more than just the examples given in the documentary, reporting a sexual assault seems almost baffling in terms of procedure, both in military life and in civilian. It is a difficult enough prosses for a man or women to endure in civilian life. Just noting what I have witnessed in my time here at Georgia Southern University, it is a long, horrifying, and complex means to achieve justice, and even then, it is certainly not guaranteed. Even at the conclusion of this class, it is still difficult to grasp the blatant disregard for an entire section of the armed forces. The ones who are willing to make the huge personal sacrifices to serve their own country, when that same courtesy would never be reciprocated. As stated multiple times in The
In her essay,” ‘Hooking Up’: What Educators Need to Know”, Kathleen A. Bogle illustrates that college students are having more casual sex aka ”Hooking Up” (248). Also Educators need be able to tell the different of casual sex and sexual assault. Bogle illustrates hooking up is a more common practice because the shift of social and dating. She explains that hooking up is the new dating system for college students to find “sexual and romantic partners” (249). According to Bogle hooking up is the thing to do for today’s generation even if it has been a part of social culture since the 1960s. Because so many students are doing it in today’s generation Bogle believes hook up culture has changed the way we react to subjects such as sexual assault. “Sexual assault on the college campus stems from the ambiguity of the ’unable to consent’ provision of state laws” (Bogle 250). “Hooking Up” usually occurs at parties towards the in the night when students are under the influence of alcohol. In Bogle’s view the shift of dating practices to hooking up have created more problems in the prevention of rape. She goes to explain that because of the rise in drunken hookups sexual assault is no longer limited to date rape situations. Bogle states that students also have a hard time of distinguishing a sexual encounter and rape due to victim-blaming. Bogle stresses that though college administrators can’t stop the fact that students are going to hook up they should educate students more on the
Sexual assault is defined by the department of justice as: any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape. Women aged 18-24, in college, are three times greater at risk than the average woman any age. (RAINN). The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has 246 ongoing investigations into how 195 colleges and universities handled sexual assault under Title IX. (Huffington Post). Many ask, Why on college campuses? Why have these statistics been rising? For a rapist or an assaulter, college is
I read an article called, “Sex Ed Lesson: ‘Yes Means Yes,’ but It’s Tricky”, on the October 15, 2015 cover of The New York Times. California passed a new law requiring college and high school health education classes to teach affirmative consent of ‘Yes means Yes’ instead of the more common ‘No means No’ statement. The law states you must say yes for every step in a sexual encounter. The law was made to stop teenagers from feeling pressured to do sexual acts, and to help colleges deal with accusations of rape.
Are you okay? Please do not cry. You are not alone. You do not know me but I am listening; I will wipe your tears, and stand by your side. Because what happen to you is not right, it is unjust, unmoral, and revolting. Although I was not there, I am here now. Although I have not experienced it, I am listening. However, I will never truly understand what you went through because I have not lived it. Sexual assault is “illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicting upon a person who is incapable of giving consent”, according to Webster Dictionary. I will not judge you, I will not patronize you, and you can trust me. What happened that night? Can you remember? What started out as a fun night with drinking and dancing; ended with your cold naked body lying upon the ground. You were intoxicated, incoherent, and unconscious. Your blood alcohol level and your dashing good looks should not make you vulnerable or a victim to inhumane acts of sexual violence.
The alarming increase in sexual assault among male and female students is a source of concern. Despite improvements in the general statistics on rape cases, the college setting remains to be the hot bed of sexual assault, especially among the female counterparts (Allen, 2007). A victim, regardless being a male or a female, never feel safe in their life as something precious was taken from them once. Statistics show that 17.6% of women are likely to be victims of rape in their entire lifetime while only 0.3% of males are estimated to be the victims of sexual assault. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS), the most critical ages men and females are likely to be engaged in sexual abuse is when they are children or adolescents (Gonzales, Schofield & Schmitt, 2006).
I originally came up with this idea after following the horrifying Brock Turner case. Brock Turner, a Stanford University swimmer, was accused and prosecuted for raping an unconscious woman at a fraternity party. After this case, I learned about a group of fraternity brothers that stood outside a sorority house chanting, “No means yes, yes means anal.” I heard countless other stories that
In America, 1 out of 6 women fall victim to rape at some point in their lives—completed or not (“Victims of Sexual Violence” 1). However, this is only one form of sexual assault that women are forced to face. Groping and other non-consensual, sexual acts are also examples of sexual assault (“Sexual Assault” 1).. Many perpetrators of sexual assault roam free, practically unaffected and likely to commit another similar act, while the woman could feel the effects of this event for her entire life. This problem affects women from around the globe—and it’s time that we put an end to it, because if we don’t, who will? If boys were to be taught how and how not to treat women in their early years, sexual assault would not be as prevalent, thus, women, including us, would not have to worry as much about enduring this kind of torment.
“[The] group had 1.74 times the odds of reporting that they were sexually assaulted during their first year of college” (Rothman & Silverman, 2007, p. 286). The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community is especially susceptible to sexual assaults, but “gay, lesbian, and bisexual students exposed to the program were 50% less likely to report being sexually assaulted during their first year of college” (Rothman & Silverman, 2007, p. 286). Educating students on consent and risk factors will not end college sexual assault, but allow the college to have control over the situation and decrease the number of sexual assaults within their
Sexual assault is defined as any vaginal, oral, or anal penetration that is forced upon another, regardless of sex and sexual orientation, using any object or body part. The issue of sexual assault in America is primarily encouraged by rape culture. Women Against Violence Against Women is an organization that defines rape culture as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. The acceptance of rape culture, rape myths, and the disregard for sexual consent also allow for the perpetuation of sexual assault against women on college campuses. Recent examples of sexual assault on college campuses show how prominent this issue has become and how hostile campuses have become for female students. Some examples include the University of Southern California’s “Gullet Report,” Miami University of Ohio’s “Top Ten Ways to Get Away with Rape,” and a sexual assault on the campus of Kansas University. Sexual assault is perpetuated by the acceptance of rape myths and rape culture, lack of effective sexual education, and the disregard for consent. The solution to this issue lies with defeating rape culture, increasing awareness and funding for campus sexual assault crisis centers, and enacting more prevention programs on campus.
Sexual assault and rape are serious social and public health issues in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. In particular sexual assault on college campus are prevalent at an alarming rate and leaves serious effects on the victims. This essay will focus on statistics and the prevalence and effects amongst college students, through examining a number of reasons why women fail to report sexual assault and rape. This essay will also cover sexual assault prevention and things that can be done to mitigate the risk of becoming a victim to such matter.
The passage of SB-967 articulates the lack of a meaningful discourse about the sexual culture on college campuses and the effects on students. The law is a significant course of action to address an important issue that has been long overlooked across college campuses in the United States. However, many have criticized certain aspects of the bill. The California legislation includes no clear definition of affirmative consent. The students are left to figure out for themselves what exactly constitutes as affirmative consent and how to obtain or give consent during a sexual encounter. While administrators are largely responsible for enacting this change in policy, it is the students that are affected by the shift. It is the responsibility of
Sexual assault has been a huge issue for many years on college campuses and universities nation wide. As society has evolved, thoughts on sexual assault have also evolved, becoming more focused on the details of victim treatment than ever before. The topic of sexual assault is debatable and sparks many opinions on weather sexual assault on college campuses is becoming more frequent, or if there is just heightened awareness. Sexual assault can happen to anybody no matter the gender, race, religion, or age. Recently there have been many studies conducted on sexual violence on college campuses and universities producing ample amounts of statistics. One may argue that sexual assault rates are the same, but there are simply more studies and attention on sexual assault in the past 20 years. Gender roles have played a huge part in sexual assault on college campuses. Women and men have different expectations when it comes to roles in the relationship, men are often expected to make the first move. One may ask what causes a perpetrator to sexually harass somebody and think it is acceptable. There are various reasons as to why perpetrators do what they do, and may vary from person to person. Although sexual violence is a large problem for many colleges and universities, there is a surprising shortage of federal laws/rules and regulations regarding sexual assault. Colleges are able to develop their own personal policies and procedures for how they will prevent and deal with sexual
In recent times the subject of sexual assault has become more important than ever. Over the decades, as the world becomes more promiscuous and the boundaries of what is too far become blurry and unsure, more and more cases of rape have come to light. We live in a society where sexual assault is simply a part of everyday life, and as horrific as it is, it is still running rampant and virtually unpunished. At this point, women (and men, though it is less often a problem) need ways to protect themselves, and colleges as well as parents and police need to know how to help prevent assaults of any gender or age.
In the beginning of this paper I vaguely introduced the definition of a consensual sexual relationship. I will expand on this definition by adding that a consensual relationship should be conceptualized in sharp contrast to sexual harassment which currently encompasses “not only discriminatory practices but also opinions, words, gestures, and acts” (Jafar, 2003:44). It is important to make this distinction because “while sexual harassment consists of unwanted sexual advances or activities, both parties enter into a consensual relationship without pressure or coercion” (Richards et al. 2014:338). In other words, students and professors who participate in a consensual relationship do so “voluntarily.”