According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network, every 109 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. The media portrays the idea that rape should be excused and joked about. As young adults, we should be able to distinguish that rape is not okay and we should be able to hold each other accountable.
For the men out there, you should be able to tell your friend what they are doing is wrong. If you see your friend taking a girl upstairs at a party and she looks clearly intoxicated, step in. Do not joke about how drunk the girl looks. You should be concerned and want to jump in. What if it was your sister, one of your female friends, or one of your classmates? You would feel horrible if anything happened to her.
If it is your girlfriend, do not pressure her to do something she does not want to do. I have not been in a relationship, yet I have dealt with someone trying to force me to do something I didn’t want to do. It creates a lot of tension in your relationship and don’t be surprised if she wants to break up with you.
Ladies, I am now going to talk to you. You shouldn’t be pressuring the men on campus for sex. The media shows that men feel like they have to have sex in order to prove their masculinity. However, not every guy out there wants to have sex. So, do not get offended if a guy says no. He does not have to have sex because you want to.
Everyone reading this article needs to know this one bit of information: stop being a bystander. You should know by now that it is time to step in. Your conscience will not let you live it down if you do not step in. We can be the generation that changes things if we all hold each other accountable and take action.