Research Paper On Campus Rape

Every year, many young women around 18-19 years old leave their families and go to college in distant cities. These women are making a journey, filled with joy and happiness, seeking the education. Also, many of them are seeking to find someone special with whom they will spend the rest of their life. Colleges and universities might offer great opportunities and activities for socialization for the women; unfortunately, there are many kinds of danger that they might encounter. One of the biggest dangers is that they might encounter sexual predators.

As a senior, I believe that colleges and universities should do whatever is possible to stop the campus rape issue for the upcoming students. Every year, students come with dreams and goals that they want to accomplish, but if the campus of colleges and universities have unsafe environment or filled with sexual predator, I believe those dream and goal might be very difficult to accomplish.

According to Romeo in acquaintance rape on college and university campuses, this sexual predator could be someone that you know, an official student at that college or at universities, or men who attend campus activities in order to find their next victim (Romeo). “A survey from the United States Bureau of Justice reported that in

three-quarters of all rapes and sexual assaults against women, the perpetrator is known to the victim” (qtd. in Romeo). “A college survey conducted by the National Victim Center reported that one in four college women have been raped or suffered attempted rape” (qtd. in Romeo). “In another college survey, half of the college men reported that they engaged in some

form of sexual aggression on a date” (qtd. in Romeo). As we can see with all of these reports, women are more at risk of becoming victims of rape in colleges and universities. One might ask why rape is occurring in colleges and universities. Alcohol and drugs are big reasons.
Alcohol and drugs are forms of manipulation the rapist may use to give the victim, in an effort to eliminate the victim`s ability to resist the rapist’s attack. Drugs that dissolve in seconds can be slipped into a victim’s drink. According to Romeo, rapists want to be alone with their victims. Often at his or her residence or in a car (Romeo). When these kinds of situations happen in colleges and universities, women should make good decision when going somewhere or a party. And so, college and universities should think about banning drugs and alcohol on college campuses would improve the situation because these substances often fuel sexual assault. Some freshman at college and universities might not be wise enough to know not to take alcohol or drugs while at a party. Sometime peer pressure might be one of the main things which make a person do things that they normally would not do. That is why colleges and universities should think about limiting party and do counselling to the victim of rape. The punishment for the rapists should be harsh, such as kick the rapist out of school or report him or her to the police.
Some people who might not agree to the argument might say that rape is a misunderstanding.

However, rape is any sexual act or assault committed against a person's will or when a person is unable to give consent due to age, use of alcohol or other drugs, or intellectual disability (Preventing Rape). Others might say that they just can't help it since the both the rapist and the victim were drunk. If that was the case, I would say “have compassion.” Think about what if someone did that to your sister, mother, daughter, or your wife. My mother would always tell to have compassion because something that does not please me may not please another. That is why some people who think that they can`t

help

it should think about how the other person feels.
Some people might say the victim should report to the police. Unfortunately, according to Romeo, Campus rape is often an underreported crime. “In a college survey, only one out of twenty-five women reported a sexual assault” (qtd. in Romeo). “Rape is considered to be the most underreported violent crime in our nation” (qtd. in Romeo). In some cases the victim and the rapist are known to each other, the victim finds it very difficult to accuse the rapist (Romeo). Also Romeo finds some of the reason why the victim might not report is that the victim might be confused as to whether the consent was given, because of the trusting relationship. The victim might also fear the reactions of family, friends, husbands, and lovers (Romeo). I believe in cases like this, the victim should be brave and report it the police so that it will not happen again in the future to other people.
College campus rape should be stop for a safer campus and better environment. It should be a place where everyone should feel safe and could get a good education. No one wants to be in a college where you could be a victim of rape. College should strict with the rule of partying, alcohol, and drugs. If the punishment for rapists were very harsh and maybe then some people might not do it anymore. Also if the victims are counsel, then they might have the courage to report to the police. I think if all of those are accomplish then college campus would be a better place to be.