Women’s Safety
Sexual violence is an extremely prominent issue in the United States as well as many other countries. This is an unfortunate thing, but ignoring such violence will not help us protect ourselves, our friends and our loved ones. According to RAINN, a national sexual assault hotline and resource, this platform not only provides resources, but also provides a 24/7 hotline over text messaging or phone calls to aid and help the healing process of victims.
According to RAINN, women the ages of 18-24 are three times more likely to experience assault on a college campus in which only 20% are reported to police due to fear of nothing being done about it and various other reasons. To protect the women and men in our country we need to take this situation more seriously.
RAINN studies show 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an act or attempted act of sexual violence in their lifetime. That is a substantial portion of our population. We have an epidemic that will not stop until we find a way to protect and educate each other.
This concept of women or men “causing” their own assault based on actions, clothes, or personality is appalling. Instead, we should be teaching our peers that rape is wrong no matter the person or circumstance.
Schools need to do more in the aspect of sexual education. There are many uncomfortable conversations, and they may not always hit the heart of every teenager, but providing the information can help students feel safer and more prepared for their adult life. Consent education is a particularly important part of this discussion. Students need to understand what is and is not consent and when consent can be obtained. Providing this information can help lower the rate of violence in schools.
On February 13th, 2023, the CDC released a report of the 2021 sexual violence reports against teen girls. The consensus of the report is, “According to the Data, teen girls are confronting the highest levels of sexual violence, sadness and hopelessness they have ever reported to YRBS.” The information is frightening to say the least, but it shows us how much of an issue sexual violence has become. 1 in 5 girls have experienced sexual violence in the last year -- that is more than a 20 percent increase since 2017.
This problem is also severely affecting the LGBTQ+ community as stated in the same study from the CDC, as 1 in 4 individuals experienced some kind of sexual violence in 2021 and 1 in 10 reported skipping or avoiding school and school-related activities due to bullying and/or violence.
The United States is in a standstill. We will either get better and work together to help stop this undeserved violence, or we will do nothing and continue to live in fear. I urge you to try to make a change and stand up for anyone you see being harassed or hurt. We need to educate each other and make the world safer for our future generations if we want to live in peace.
