A Look at Causes and Solutions By Danielle Damper

When President Obama released a list of colleges under investigation for sexual assault violations under Title IX, I’ll admit the first thing I did was scan the list and breathe a sigh of relief when Davis wasn't on it. However, just because we do not go to a school with a documented problem, it does not mean we can ignore the issue. Only 55 colleges are facing investigation, but the problem goes much deeper than that. In fact, fear of assault is almost woven into the fabric of the college search, along with ratings for best food and quality of education, you often find ratings for “safety on campus.” Call me old fashioned, but I think safety should never be a concern, regardless of what school you go to.

But, it is. In the past few weeks, stories of sexual assault have been all over the news, from the extremely disturbing American University fraternity emails that surfaced, to our own crime alert just a few days ago, to data that says one in five women will be assaulted before they graduate. However, in light of all of this press, still no one knows how to stop the problem of sexual assault on campuses.

In reaction to the slew of media currently reporting on sexual assault, the Obama administration is in the process of strengthening laws regarding assault on college campuses. However, these laws (mainly Title IX, which mandates that colleges independently investigate cases of sexual assault) remain pretty toothless. Title IX has been on the books since 1972, and hasn't done much to combat sexual assault on our college campuses. Personally, I think this tactic is extremely flawed. Rather than investigate individual occurrences and punish wrongdoing, we need to look at the overarching conditions under which assaults become common.

Sexual assault is not a problem that can be solved by task forces and retribution. We need to get to the root of the issue and first find out why our college system is failing us.

I think the main problem is one of definition. Pretty much, everyone agrees sexual assault is a bad thing, however most people’s definition of sexual assault is far too narrow. This causes a binary of “real” sexual assault versus “fake” that leads us to discount some stories at the victim’s expense. Take for example our recent crime alert describing a woman who was slapped on the behind by a passerby on his bike. For the most part, our student body laughed off the idea this was problem enough to warrant an email since she was “only” slapped on the butt. However, this is still unwanted sexual touching and should fall under the sexual assault umbrella. Or, think of, a more universal example of the drunk girl at the party, whose rape doesn't “count” since she was blackout drunk. This forces some victims to hide in shame, and lets some perpetrators off the hook since they didn't “really” assault anyone.

We also need to redefine sexual assault as more than just a women’s issue. We often pretend our definition of sexual assault is gender exclusive — that it’s only a problem for women. Well, more and more data shows that this simply isn't true. In fact, The National Crime Victimization Survey found that 38% of all reports of sexual assault are by male victims. By pretending that men are immune, we risk alienating these victims, thus driving this problem further out of the spotlight. Furthermore, this becomes a problem when most public service announcements, like Obama’s “1 is 2 Many” campaign, tell young men to step up and protect their mothers, sisters, and friends, ignoring the fact that they need and deserve protection just as much as we do.

I also suggest a change in education. We live in a time where dating seems murkier than ever and alcohol-soaked hook ups are becoming a societal norm. In this environment, the lines of consent can get blurred, which is why we need to emphasize the full spectrum of what constitutes consent in our sexual education classes starting at a much earlier age. Sex education should be so much more than “sex is bad” for the health and safety of our society. I believe refusing to update our archaic curriculum in high school creates for a much larger problem in college when uneducated people enter an environment where sex is much more than “just say no.”

Furthermore, we need to put a face on sexual assault. So often we pretend that those who commit assault are shadowy men in an alleyway, when overwhelming data tells us this is not the case. Two-thirds of rapes and three-fourths of other sexual assaults are committed by someone that the victim knows. By refusing to believe that regular people can be perpetrators, we reduce the effectiveness of the already scarce rape education. Instead of “don’t walk alone at night,” we need a comprehensive plan based on facts, not delusions.

Without a comprehensive look at sexual assault and its causes, there is no point in PSA's and these investigations. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the Obama administration for bringing attention to an often ignored issue. However, in this case, the government is not the sole answer. Are the Title IX investigations a step in the right direction? Yes. Will it solve the problem? No.

The government has set the tone to start a conversation about sexual assaults on college campuses. But it will never cease being a problem until we, the students, take measures to rethink our opinions on sexual assault. Like so many other situations, we are both the problem and the solution, and only with a grassroots effort can college be a safe haven for students.