Paulina Durham

1. Sexual assault is one of the most dehumanizing and traumatizing crimes that anyone can endure. Many people suffer from it, and raising awareness is something that has always been needed because in society victims of sexual assault are rarely believed. But, in order to raise awareness we can’t just have others experience the trauma themselves, but instead educating others.
1. In schools from a young age children should be taught what consent is and how it works. It is very easy for children to understand the principles on consent. Many parents have been teaching their younger children about consent and how important it has become.
2. But, as a society we can’t just focus on the youngest people of the generation, but also teenagers and adults. Classes and workshops should be put into place that teach students, teachers, and adults, the importance of consent and what consent looks like. Not only that, but they should also be taught what rape is and the psychological effects it can have on someone.
3. Lastly we need to actually convict rapists and those who have sexual assaulters. We need to slowly undo what rape culture has forced the world to do. Police officers should receive new training when working with rape victims. Questions like “how much did you drink” “what were you wearing” and “are you sure you didn’t give consent”. We also have to understand the biases between race and also work in training that eliminates such. There should also be no statute of limitation and easier access to rape kits for people. Victims, regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation should be talked to as people and not as just victims.
4. Odds are, rape will not be perpetrated by a stranger in a bar or a man that follows you home at night. A large majority of rapes are perpetrated by someone the survivor knows, with the most common relationship being an intimate partner or former intimate partner. The misleading narrative that is prevalent in the media’s discussion of rape makes it even harder for survivors to recognize rape and report it to law enforcement. The definition of rape with intimate partners has become blurred. Survivors struggle even more with feelings of guilt and fear of being disbelieved. Rape needs to be clearly defined so that consent itself can no longer be in dispute.
5. The U.S. Department of Justice defines sexual assault 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.” Each state defines it differently--and most of those accused of sexual assault are charged by the state. For example, in Illinois, “fondling” without consent is not considered sexual assault. There should be federal law that explicitly defines sexual assault the way the Department of Justice defines it, because as state laws stand now, one form of sexual assault may be illegal in one state but not in another. Survivors of any form of sexual assault need to find justice wherever they go, no matter what state they are in.

2. Recently millions of women have come out with stories of sexual harassment and sexual assault. The prevalence of this issue in schools and in the workplace has never been more evident--to men. To women, this is a problem that has existed for many decades; it is simply only now being talked about in the mainstream media. Even with this new awareness, many are greeting the stories of survivors with doubt. This is extremely dangerous; while many of the allegations against influential men are likely not chargeable due to the burden of proof needed for criminal charges and statutes of limitations, these influential men should still be held accountable for their crimes. Though criminal convictions cannot result from a preponderance of evidence, preponderance of evidence can (and should) certainly result in these men losing the power that they abused. Women need to feel safe getting an education. They need to feel safe in the workplace. Because sexual assault and harassment is one more unacknowledged barrier to female achievement.  
3. Know Your IX is an organization founded in 2013, led by survivors and youth. The organization’s key objective is to end gender violence in schools, giving every student the civil right to an education free from discrimination. The organization recognizes Title IX as a way for survivors to find justice without the harrowing and traumatizing process of pressing charges through the criminal justice system. The organization receives funding through individual donors. Know Your IX is portrayed very little in the news.

Many colleges and high schools are in violation of Title IX, because sexual assault continues to be systematically ignored by these institutions. This needs to change. Schools shouldn’t worry about the appearance of being a safe campus, they should worry about actually being a safe campus. Schools should look out for their students’ interests, not their own. Women should be able to pursue higher education without fear and trauma.