By Dyanna Garcia In the state of New York there are a total of 240 universities and colleges. Each college/university has their own policies regarding many different problems. One of the biggest complications on college campus is sexual assault. The sexual assault definition involves crimes where offenders subject victims to unwanted or offensive sexual contact. The most common issues in sexual assault are underreporting, victim-perpetrator relationships and school policies and procedures. The percent of sexual assaults continues to keep increasing since the year of 2000. This has become more common and unreported as the years progress. According to Wikipedia “...somewhere between 19 and 27% of college women and 6-8% of college men are sexually assaulted during their time in college.” All college/universities go about sexual assault differently due to their own policies. Besides the policy, there are requirements that every institution must follow when dealing with reports of sexual assault on their campus. These requirements include taking immediate action to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects. According to news source Best Colleges “The government requires schools to address sexual violence cases immediately. Victims can take legal action if schools fail to respond.” As a student there are a few precautionary measures that can be taken to reduce your risk of attack. These include providing information to your loved ones or friends on where you are, watching your drink, knowing your personal limits, having a backup plan, avoid traveling alone or consider safety escorts, and staying secure in dorm rooms/apartments by locking doors and windows. Although sexual assault can affect and damage a person’s life tremendously there a few options to help with coping such as counseling services and support groups. Multiple organizations exist to provide detailed information about sexual violence and help student who become victims. For example, there’s a hotline that you can contact known as the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. There also many online resources such as National Sexual Violence Resource Center, National Organization for Victim Assistance, National Resource Center for Domestic Violence, and RAINN Online Chat.
1 Comment
Lynn Girven
3/1/2021 12:05:51 pm
Do you think college campuses are doing enough? I don't. In some cases sexual abuse on campus is higher for woman than anywhere else. Dr. Ibram Kendi talks about this and it is alarming.
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