School has started for most universities across the state. The beginning of a new year is usually a time for fun but for some students, returning to campus means facing a staggering statistic.
Officials say that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.
For years institutions across the nation have worked to stop sexual assault by raising awareness and promoting prevention.
But some experts say sexual assaults can’t be solved by awareness or prevention campaigns alone. Those like Mike Isaacson argue the efforts to end sexual assault need to go further to get to the root of the problem.
Isaacson is the Title IX coordinator for Black Hills State University. He says BHSU took the ‘It’s On Us’ pledge to end sexual assault on campus.
“Now that’s an expectation we’ve never articulated here at Black Hills State, yes it’s a bold statement, and we’re going to accomplish it, we know how to do it, it’s a matter of getting it done,” says Isaacson.
Isaacson adds that the school wants its faculty and students to learn how to recognize and listen to sexual assault victims. But he says that sexual assault is largely a male privilege issue and that one of the defects in sexual assault education is the focus of teaching women how not to be raped, instead of teaching men not to rape women.
“Teaching women that you shouldn’t walk alone and you shouldn’t go out at night and you shouldn’t do this or that, those are all privileges that for the most part men enjoy so why is that we’re reducing the women’s world?,” says Isaacson.
Other experts think that ending sexual assault on South Dakota campuses starts with engagement. Kayla Bastian is the Title IX coordinator for the Board of Regents.
“Any programming and awareness and getting it out there making it interesting for students so that they pay attention, engaging their faculty and staff to become part of the solution, engaging with their athletics or Greek life or student organizations any leadership on campus,” says Bastian.
Officials say that even though sexual assault is a frequent problem, it’s entirely preventable. However they add that efforts to end sexual assault are still a work in progress.