Sexual Assault Has to be Stopped! by Nia

Sexual Assault Has to be Stopped! by Nia - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

I can’t google Penn State without the words “hazing death” following it. There are so many dangerous things that can occur in college. The sad part is that most of these issues are swept under the rug, when they need to be disclosed and taken care of. Sexual assault is one the biggest issues that is kept under wraps but occurs more often than we probably think. It is imperative that colleges and universities make an effort to lower the incidence of sexual assault not only to ensure their students safety but, also to protect and maintain a good reputation. This is why if I were a college professor I would teach a sexual assault class. My central purpose would be to significantly reduce the incidence of sexual assault on campus. Not only would I educate the students on sexual assault but also, empower them and create an app for students to address any issues of assault to school authorities. With my class, you would see less sexual assault incidents and more unity in school.
In order to reduce the frequency of sexual assault, I would first educate students on this issue. So this raises the question, What exactly is sexual assault? What may be considered sexual assault to one person may not be to another. As a school, we would set the standard. In my class we would need to create a culture on campus that shows sexual assault is not accepted. From the moment students enter the school, my priority would be to create that environment from the start. This means bring awareness to sexual assault on campus and more. Sexual assault is more than the violation. Its deeper than that. Bringing awareness to self-esteem, self-harm and abuse in addition to sexual assault, will not only persuade people to join my class but, all around show our school’s standard and what we will not tolerate from students.
As I stated earlier, sexual assault is more than the act itself. Sexual assault has a lot to do with power. One must feel dominant over the other when they violate them. People do this to make themselves feel better because they don't feel powerful in themselves or other areas of their life. So instead of violating someone else to feel powerful, my class would collaborate with the student government and strive to empower students in other ways. Give them positive reinforcement. Provide opportunities for additional training and education and all around get to know our students. Allow their voices to be heard. Give a voice to students by recognizing, supporting and highlighting their achievements.
Students don't necessarily need to be empowered by school officials. They can be empowered by other students. This is where diversity point comes in my class. Having a diverse culture on campus helps to dispel some homegrown cultures where types of sexual assault may not be frowned upon. If teach my students to be more open to diversity, people from different cultures could empower each other and potentially stop more students from committing sexual assault.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) estimates that at least 95% of campus rapes in the U.S. go unreported. To improve this statistic I would create peer groups. This is comparable to a neighborhood watch program but instead, I would train a group students for indicators of sexual assault and what to do if they witness it. As an end of the semester project, I would encourage students to create an app for when other students are on the go and witness an assault. That way, a student can report it. The app must allow students to take a picture and video so that they can send any footage to school authorities. This will definitely reduce the frequency of sexual assault because students will think twice knowing that people from my class may be watching.
All in all, my priority would be ensuring students safety. Students want to feel safe on campus and want to know that the act of sexual assault will be brought to light and accounted for. Stopping this issue would be the focal point in my class. In conclusion, reducing the frequency of sexual assault on campus is not easy but, it is important to me. Educating students, empowering them in other ways and creating peer groups that have access to a safety app can minimize this crime and I believe that these ideas would be effective and impact a great deal of people.