In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, it’s only appropriate to discuss the prevalence of sexual assault attacks on campus. A little shy of a month before the 2013-2014 school year commences, students should stop to ask themselves, why have there been more than 20 reported attacks since fall 2013? Each time there is a new attack, precautions and procedures are implied to students who are more likely at risk of being sexually assaulted. Of those precautions include “Trust your instincts. If a situation or location feels unsafe or uncomfortable, it probably is not a safe environment. Remove yourself from the situation or location” and “never leave a drink unattended or accept a drink that you did not see poured.” Now although these are helpful tips, how many of these procedures have actually protected students?
Statistics show that those more likely to be sexually assaulted on college campuses are females. Why is Penn State not pushing towards a message that teaches students, faculty and the community “do not sexually assault people” opposed to “do not get sexually assaulted?” This type of attitude towards sexual assault is only reinforcing that if someone becomes a victim of an attack, it is his or her fault because he or she should have taken more precautions. Buying a new skirt from Charlotte Russe or a new crop top from Forever 21 or the amount of alcohol consumed at a party should not be factors when sexual assault is accounted for. Society embeds the notion that females who wear clothes that are revealing or engage in behavior that is deemed risqué should have been more careful or that it is “no surprise” if they become a victim of sexual assault.
These types of reoccurring themes in our society are only promoting the idea that men cannot control their hormones or their need to appease their sexual desire. These ideas teach women that they should be understanding and cautious that certain outfits or friendly gestures can ultimately lead to their own demise. Why should women have to be more conscientiousness of their own behavioral patterns, while men are essentially given a pass? Penn State can fund any and every event that is circulating the football team, but is there ever going to be funding that goes towards promoting a safer environment for students? The “Emergency” lampposts are a decent suggestion, but how many of those have been effectively used in order to prevent a sexual assault from happening? There’s a lamppost strategically placed around campus, in places that aren’t prone to an abundant amount of student activity on late nights. More action needs to be taken in order to keep students on campus safe, or else the university is ultimately failing all of us.