On Wednesday, October 19, 2016, the Vice President of Student Affairs hosted the “It’s On Us” program/campaign in the Miron Student Center (MSC) Greek Lounge.

Students, faculty and staff stopped in and took the pledge against sexual assault during the hours of 11 a.m.to 2 p.m. and again from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

"It is a promise not to be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution," the pledge card read.

Despite what it may seem like, there are vast amounts of people who fall victim to sexual assault. Every two minutes in the United States, sexual assault takes place, which makes about 230,000 victims who are 12 years and older per year.

Sexual assault is defined as a sexual act — whether it is touching, kissing or any related sexual activity — that is done to a person who does not give consent. A person who is sexually assaulted is someone who is forced to partake in unwanted sexual activity. The individual who involuntary participates in sexual activity may be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and unable to give a confirmed consent, or is a person that was sexually assaulted while sober.

Sex crimes are blind to gender, race or sexual orientation. A victim can be attacked in any place as well. On college campuses, it has been reported that about 95 percent of sexual crimes that occur on campus go unreported. Approximately half of the sexual crimes to take place on college campuses are alcohol related, and a little over half of sexual crimes occur at a party. It has also been reported that 90 percent of women know the person who had attempted or was successful with sexually assaulting them. 

Women are not the only group of people who get sexually assaulted. Below are statistics of other groups of people who are susceptible to being sexually assaulted:

• About 2.78 million, or 1 in 33 men, are victims
• 10 percent of all sexual assault victims are male
• Out of sexual assault victims, approximately 15 percent are children who are under 12
• 29 percent of children who are between the ages of 12 and 17
• About 80 percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 30
• Those who are at higher risk of getting falling victim to sexual assault are those who are aged between 12 and 34

To help someone who is vulnerable to sexual assault, one can become a part of the solution. Instead of being a bystander of a sexual assault situation, one can stop it before it happens.

The organization “It’s On Us” is an organization that allows people to take a pledge online. Once someone takes the pledge, he or she is committed “to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault.”   

Anyone can take the pledge at www.ItsOnUs.org. Help spread the word and stop the sexual assault that occurs every day.