Most of us go to college with a few key priorities: making friends, partying a little too hard, and (hopefully) studying even harder. But for many women, that ideal college experience is tainted by an act of violence: A 2009 study published in the Journal of American College Health found that nearly 20 percent of female undergrads had been sexually victimized since starting college, often as early as their sophomore year.
The researchers called for prevention programs targeting male college students, emphasizing that a drunk (or otherwise incapacitated) woman can't consent to sex. And the White House listened: Earlier this year, President Obama established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, which today released recommendations to help colleges across the country prevent unwanted sexual activity.
Guidelines include conducting a "campus climate survey" to identify the scope of each school's problem and encouraging male students to step in if they think a female is at risk. ("If you see it happening, help her, don't blame her, speak up.") The task force also encourages campuses to create a confidential place where victims can file a complaint immediately and privately and to establish 24/7 emergency services for sexual assault.
President Obama even addresses the hot-button issue of victim blaming, encouraging schools not to assume that a previous consensual sexual relationship implies consent when a woman names a past partner as the perpetrator.
For more information, visit the task force's new website, NotAlone.gov, which is designed to publicize enforcement data, instruct students on how to file a sexual assault complaint, and provide hotline numbers by zip code.
More From Women's Health:
When Your Partner is Abusive
New Guidelines Issues to Help Assault Victims
How to Support Women—And Yourself
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