Campus Rape Culture Explained – and it’s far worse than you have EVER imagined

Campus rape culture is one of the most prevalent and persistent problem plaguing American universities. It used to be 1 in 5 women on college campuses were raped but that number has jumped to a whopping 2 in 5 over the course of 2018. You read correctly. The statistics show that American universities have a worse rape epidemic than Eastern African lawless wastelands and the Congo.

However, there is some confusion as to what constitutes “rape” when it comes to the sexual assault happening on college campuses – whether it be students living on campus or commuting.

Sexual assault is a serious thing so it’s important to understand what it is and the severity behind it before we can start addressing the problem. “Rape” means any or all of the following things:

The forceful sexual intercourse where one individual forces him or herself on another unwitting individual with no consent through either coercing or physical force

Any non-consensual physical contact including but not limited to: groping, touching, hugging, accidentally brushing or bumping shoulders

A man looking at a woman for more than three seconds without the stated permission of the woman

An unattractive man commenting on the appearance of a woman without her consent

An unattractive man asking for the phone number or trying to court a woman in any way at all

It’s important to understand that every single one of the aforementioned points are equivalent.

My friend was forcefully raped by a man in the back alley. She thought she might be pregnant but thankfully she wasn’t. She was traumatized and sought therapy. The same thing happened to me when some nerdy guy in the library smiled at me without my consent. I know what my friend is going through. This rape culture needs to stop. Candace Wilkinson, North Arbon State University

Rape culture is very real and needs to be addressed. Self-defense should not be necessary. White men need to be taught not to rape. It’s as simple as that.

This is why we need feminism. This is why diversity is our strength.