The Importance of Education and Efforts to Make Campuses and Colleges Safer

As Vice President, Biden demonstrated his support against sexual assaults and sought change, much like many people in the community acting to end assaults and make college campuses safer. While around 70% of high schoolers attend college, many of them are unaware of the potential dangers that lie ahead. Sooner rather than later, colleges need to focus on the reasons behind these violent acts. They have to understand how women feel after being assaulted and commit to assisting and taking action in these situations.

The number of women being sexually assaulted on college campuses has been rising over the last few years. In college, many students want to focus on their education, but violence poses an extra challenge. While the numbers may vary among different schools, on average, 21% of women have experienced some form of sexual assault. This not only suggests that one in five women have been assaulted, but also that only a small quantity of these cases are reported. Worse still, an even smaller percentage of these attackers face severe consequences (Herrick, para 1). Most women don't realize that more than 65% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by their partners or someone they know. Victims are often hesitant to inform family members that they have been sexually assaulted and are even less likely to admit it if the culprit is a "significant other, a family member, a teacher, or a classmate." Many of these attacks occur when a woman feels secure, unaware of the potential dangers from those within their circle of trust (Best Colleges, para 5). Drugs and alcohol also contribute significantly to the number of sexual assaults on college campuses. Many incoming college students experiment with drugs and alcohol for the first time, and unfortunately, many women end up being assaulted as they have not offered consent due to intoxication (Women's Health, para 2 & 3). The Women's Health report illustrates how drugs and alcohol are not a game, and peer pressure can lead to an undesired outcome. Surprisingly, many people are oblivious to the fact that violence can occur around them, even from people they know.

Although many women have been assaulted, the actions they take afterward can be harmful to themselves. Following a sexual assault, women tend to change dramatically. They often avoid friends and acquaintances, becoming dissociative, depressed, and resorting to self-harm. They may develop eating and sleeping disorders, changes that might affect many others whom they interact with daily. They begin to feel insecure, perceiving themselves as targets for others. A staggering 15% of women become victims in their first year of college (Women’s Health, para 3). For younger women, it can be particularly challenging to open up about their experience. Eventually, people who genuinely care for her begin to notice these changes and try to understand what's happening. As it becomes difficult for women to overcome the trauma they've experienced, they may feel the urge to harm themselves, which usually is not the best solution. However, there are ways to help and prevent these situations.

Many colleges have not taken significant measures to improve women's safety on college campuses. According to an article, "Off The Sidelines," four out of ten colleges failed to report a case of sexual assault on their campuses to the Clery Act (paras. 1 & 3). The Clery Act is a law that mandates colleges to "collect and publish crime statistics." This law was instigated when the family of Jeanne, a freshman who was raped and murdered in her dorm, discovered her college failed to report 38 violent crimes that year (Holding Campuses Accountable in Reporting Sexual Assault, para. 6). It's challenging for a college to have no sexual assault reports while numerous other colleges report many incidents yearly. Colleges often withhold this information to maintain a better image and attract more student applications (Off The Sidelines, para. 3). In trying to avoid trouble, colleges sometimes fall afoul of the law; "21 schools were fined by the U.S. Department of Education from 2000 through mid-2014 under the Clery Act for failing to report campus crimes" (Bernier and Males, para. 2). This demonstrates how these schools, despite their non-reporting, still strive to attract students and establish a reputation as a top-tier institution. These colleges, more concerned with image-building than doing the right thing, prioritize potential students over their current ones.

The number of high schoolers attending college is continually increasing, and with it, the number of reported sexual assaults is also rising. College-aged women, particularly those ages 18-24, face a heightened risk of sexual assault. Many perpetrators do not face harsh penalties, and few cases are reported. This evidences the hesitance of victims to disclose their experiences. One way to create safer spaces might be to use the college library to "organize information, facilitate the difficult discussions these issues provoke, and curate exhibits and other media to promote evidence-based information" (Barnes & Males, para. 15). There are numerous strategies, but implementing them requires collective effort, so everyone must play a part to make the college community safer for all.

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