This month is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Campus sexual assault has long been an issue and in 2016, it is more visible than ever. Many groups -from student activists, dean of students, and Greek life to the White House administration – are taking action.  

It is time for all of us to take a stand. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), as many as one in five women are sexually assaulted in college. While in college, one in 16 men are victim of an attempted or completed assault (BJS). The impact of sexual assault can be wide ranging and can have long-term health impacts.

The goal of The University of Akron is to take a stand and prevent sexual assault, creating a safer campus for us all. Preventing sexual violence on campus takes more than one department, office, team, administrator, professor, activist, organization, or student. It takes all of us as a student body to collaborate together in big and small ways. Each and every one of us must play a role in creating a culture of safety, equality, and respect on campus.

You can start by attending campus events and lectures the rest of April, using social media to spread the word and take a stand, and strive to learn more about this issue and educate others in your life. Everyone benefits from a better educated and safer campus.   
#TakeAStand.