We all know that sexual assault is huge problem on college campuses—but the good news is that college students have more than enough ability to fight back and make a change. In honor of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the It’s On Us campaign is celebrating its third Spring Week of Action from April 2-8, calling on college students nationwide to promote events raising awareness and prevention of assault. Her Campus has partnered with It’s On Us to bring you all of the essential facts about the week and how you can participate.
Sexual assault is far more common than you may think
According to It’s On Us, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college. If you go to a college with small class sizes, compare these stats to the amount of people in your early morning lecture or seminar—scary, right? Only 13 percent of sexual assault survivors are known to actually report their assaults, highlighting the shame and fear that surrounds these events, even though researchers believe that only between two and seven percent of sexual assault reports are false. On college campuses, it’s also common for survivors to know their attacker, with 8 in 10 being familiar with the perpetrator. To top it all off, the LGBTQ community is especially vulnerable when it comes to sexual assault. This is disturbing stuff, but we have the power to effect change.
You can reach out to others with the It’s On Us pledge
If you want to make assault prevention a hot topic on campus, look into the It’s On Us pledge and its three pillars—consent education, bystander intervention and survivor support. The pledge is "a personal commitment to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault [and] is a promise not to be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution.”
Pick a spot on campus to ask other students to take the pledge this week. You can even make the event more interactive by setting up a social media campaign for students to explain why the #ItsOnUs pledge is important to them.
Gauge even more interest with other related campus events
It’s On Us suggests other actions that students can do on campus in addition to a pledge drive, such as passing out teal ribbons (the official color of sexual assault awareness and prevention) or hosting screenings tied to sexual assault awareness. A go-to choice is the documentary The Hunting Ground, which specifically focuses on sexual assault on college campuses. Another option is to host a panel discussion with local experts or student leaders about how sexual assault affects communities and what can be done to prevent it.
By participating in the It’s On Us campaign, you join some great company
It’s On Us has produced several PSAs with celebrities and other public figures, including the 2016 USA Olympic team. Below, see stars like Kerry Washington, Joel McHale and Connie Britton preach the organization’s message:
Make your campus safer by educating yourself and participating in the It's On Us Week of Action!