Sexual assault is unacceptable

It should be obvious. Other people are not your property that you can do whatever you want with. You do not have the right to invade the most intimate parts of others' minds and bodies.

Unfortunately, sexual assault is easy. Too many times have college students found themselves drunk at a party or walking home alone at night or in other situations that don't fit into the stereotype. And it's easy to sexually assault someone if you are uneducated. It happens all too frequently.

Sexual assault has countless repercussions for survivors forced to deal with the trauma for the rest of their lives.

Sexual assault is wrong. So why don't college students seem to get it?

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and it is a perfect time to rededicate ourselves and create attainable goals for improving the safety and correcting our campus cultures. This editorial board is taking the opportunity to plead for awareness of and action to improve our culture at Iowa State University and universities across the country.

There is not one clear solution. But any time awareness, education or activism is improved or becomes more frequent we are one step closer to making our campuses and ourselves safer.

Sexual assault is an epidemic. According to a report on rape and sexual assault produced by the White House Council on Women and Girls, 1 in 5 college women have been sexually assaulted, but only about 12 percent of sexual assaults on college students are reported to law enforcement. Because of this, the true number of sexual assaults on college students is difficult to determine and much disputed.

It does not matter. Because one sexual assault on one college campus is too many.

The news of another sexual assault on campus has been an all too common headline in our own newspaper this year. And on top of the many sexual assaults, some of which were reported at residence halls, a fraternity was suspended after a sexual assault accusation and the university itself is under investigation for its handlings of sexual assault cases.

The latest Clery Report - an annual campus safety report and crime statistics required by the federal government - showed 20 'forcible sex offenses” occurred in 2013. This number is up from 12 in 2012 and seven in 2011. While it is unclear if more of these cases are actually occurring or if more are being reported, this statistic does show sexual assaults continue to be a problem on our campus.

Students should demand better of each other and their universities, not just here at Iowa State but all across the country. Administrators should have higher expectations for their staffs, students and institutions. Our government should accept nothing short of eradication of this culture that perpetuates sexual assault.

This is a call, to students, faculty, administrators or anyone else who will listen to stay informed, expect more out of their peers and take the next step toward ending sexual assault. Because as of now, sexual assault is our culture, our epidemic and, most importantly, our problem.

' A longer version of this editorial appeared in the Iowa State Daily on April 1. Comments opinion@iowastatedaily.com