Yes Means Yes - Chicago Author/Date

Draft 3

The Importance of Sexual Assault Awareness,

and the Perspectives behind it

Many students find college, not only as the peak of their existence, but the setting where they can engage in intimate activities. Though these intimate activities are normal and healthy, students must also be aware of the danger in college dating. Sexual assault has served as an immense challenge to colleges, which has showed in the statistics. According to Meredith Clark (2014), an education activist and reporter for MSNBC, "an estimated one in five women will deal with sexual assault while at college". In response, Jerry Brown, California's state governor, passed the SB-967 Student Safety: Sexual Assault, otherwise known as the "Yes Means Yes" law (2013-2014). California is actually the first to create such a law (Clark 2014). Although the "Yes Means Yes" actively promotes a agreement and consent, a unified awareness and understanding of sexual assault is vital in maintaining student safety.

There is a variety of causes in the case of sexual assault. To Camille Paglia, author and University Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, sexual assault is solely caused by the "Carry Nation repressiveness" feminism of today. In her essay, It's a Jungle Out There, she argues "Feminism... has put young women in danger by the truth about sex from them"(Paglia 2001, 538). Often known as Hurricane Camille, she continues,"I see in the simple, swaggering masculinity of the jock and in the noisy posturing of the heavy-metal guitarist certain fundamental, unchanging truths about sex. Masculinity is aggressive, unstable, combustible" (2001, 540). Paglia not only implies that feminism is the cause of sexual assault, but that men are "aggressive" and "unstable". While Paglia notably states her case, Susan Jacoby, author and freelance writer, argues Paglia's implications. In Jacoby's essay, Common Decency, she argues Paglia's perspective stating" These apologists for date rape-and some of them are women-are really saying that the average man cannot be trusted to exercise any impulse control"(2001, 544). Additionally, Jacoby counter argues Paglia's implication on men in which she writes, "Even the most callow youth is capable of understanding the difference between resistance and genuine fear" (2001, 546). Instead of blaming the "unchanging truths about sex"(Paglia 2001, 540), Jacoby's looks at the bigger picture writing, "Real men don't rape"(2001, 546). In comparing both authors, what they both succeed in emphasizing is the importance of understanding the issue. Sex, by nature, is biological and something that student's must be aware of. Just like Paglia correctly implies, sex is not verbal, rather subliminal (Paglia 2001, 540). In general terms, more colleges in the United States should make it clear, the horrors and dangers of college rape to both genders.

While adopting a sense of understanding, colleges should seek to create a universal consent. The Yes Means Yes law states affirmative consent is a "conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity"(SB-967), yet other colleges disagree. For example, Nick Anderson, reporter for The Washington Post, writes that Stanford alone carried 26 rape cases (2016). Through the analysis of Nick Anderson, the law should find ways to reach mainly to Ivy League schools rather than colleges in general. In addition to this, the definition of rape is confusing in the United States in general. Lydia O'Connor, reporter for the Huffington Post, and Tyler Kingsdale, the senior editor at the Huffington Post, stress this issue using Brock Turner as an example. Brock Turner has become the face of sexual assault, where they write in regard of rape, "Brock Turner was found guilty this year of three felony counts of sexual assault. Under California law, Turner is not technically a rapist because he didn’t penetrate his victim with his penis"(O'Connor and Kingkade 2016). So what really determines sexual assault? Apparently, the law determines sexual assault, rather than the victim. Whether or not the law or the victim should determine sexual assault, Rape is rape. In correspondence, laws being passed need to have more depth. Affirmative consent plays an active role in California, but what about the rest of the colleges in the United States?

The issue of sexual assault is indeed a threatening one, but there are solutions. Many programs are beginning to play a role in putting an end to the crime. On the other hand, the laws on sexual assault falls ultimately on the hands of the student. Whether the student decides to drink alcohol or to study, The "Yes Means Yes" law is a revolutionary law, yet lacking in unification with other colleges. Ultimately, if the world can adopt a system like California, the numbers of rape can drop significantly. Through understanding, awareness, and attention to detail, sexual assault can come to an end.

Reference List

Anderson, Nick. 2016. "These Colleges Have the Most Reports of Rape." The Washington Post- Grade

Point, June 7. Accessed October 18, 2016.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/07/these-colleges-have-the-most-reports-of-rape/

Clark, Meredith. 2014. "California Governor Signs ‘Yes Means Yes’ Campus Sexual Assault Bill."

MSNBC - Education, September 29. Accessed October 18, 2016.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/california-governor-signs-yes-means-yes-campus-sexual-assault-bill#54395

Jacoby, Susan. 2001. "Common Decency." In Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and

Guide, edited by Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, 544-546. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins

O'Connor, Lydia and Tyler Kingkade. 2016. "If You Don't Get Why Campus Rape is a National Problem,

Read This." Huffington Post- College. June 24. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sexual-assault-explainer_us_5759aa2fe4b0ced23ca74f12

Paglia, Camille. 2001. "It's a Jungle Out There." In Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader

and Guide, edited by Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, 538-541. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martin's.

SB-967 Student Safety: Sexual Assault. 2013-2014. California Legislative Information. Accessed October

26, 2016. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB967

Draft 2

The Importance of Sexual Assault Awareness

and the Perspectives behind it

Many students find college, not only as the peak of their existence, but the setting where they can engage in intimate activities. Though these intimate activities are normal and healthy, students must also be aware of the danger in college dating. Sexual assault has served as an immense challenge to colleges, which has showed in the statistics. ACCORDING TO (you can add transition) Meredith Clark (2014), an education activist and reporter for MSNBC, reveals a threatening result in which SHORT AND CONCISE "an estimated one in five women will deal with sexual assault while at college". In response, Jerry Brown, who continues to serve Dont need continue to serve as California's state governor, passed the SB-967 Student Safety: Sexual Assault, otherwise known as the "Yes Means Yes" law (2013-2014). According to Clark Use different transition, California is actually the first to create such a law (2014). Although the "Yes Means Yes" actively promotes a agreement and consent, a unified awareness and understanding of sexual assault is vital in maintaining student safety.