Signing a pledge to prevent women and men from being victims of sexual assault is one helpful step in the right direction, but what are we really going to do about it?
On Sept. 19, 2014, President Obama and Vice President Biden delivered a speech regarding a new campaign titled “It’s On Us.” The purpose of this campaign was to create an awareness of sexual assault in hopes of reducing the number of sexual assaults taking place on college campuses all over the country.
The campaign advertises a pledge to be signed by individuals on college campuses and various other institutions. The pledge is four statements long and comes with a few tips for following through with the signature. ASUU has posted them on their website.
They are:
1. I pledge to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault.
2. I pledge to identify situations in which sexual assault may occur.
3. I pledge to intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given.
4. I pledge to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.
These pledge statements are definitely helpful, and every college student on campus should be aware of them and should work harder to enforce them. However, signing a one-time pledge doesn’t really seem like it is going to do the job.
In addition, college campuses should require all students to take a sexual assault awareness course as part of their general education requirements. This way, all college students would be enrolled in an awareness course for half a semester. That seems like adequate time to get the point across and to really drill awareness and prevention into the minds of all college students.
Some college students might groan at the thought of adding one more course to their already long list of general education requirements. However, perhaps colleges could make it so that this class covers one of the already required courses, or offer incentives for students to take this course. Sexual assault awareness certifications could be rewarded, and the class could be worth four credits instead of three.
Students who are still averse to the thought of having to participate in a course like this have either themselves or their own peers to blame for careless behavior.
In addition, a course should be offered for students who have fallen victim to sexual assault. This course could have therapeutic benefits and could aid in future prevention methods as well.