We Can Prevent Sexual Assault on College Campuses

We read news stories about sexual violence happening in North Dakota every week.

We are an anti-sexual violence organization, but these stories aren’t hard to find. Over a thousand people are served by sexual violence victim advocacy centers each year, and there are thousands more that have yet to reach out for support.

Statistically speaking, young adults in college face the greatest risk of experiencing sexual violence. Across the United States, 13% of all college students experience rape or sexual assault. And when you break that number down, the rates are even more alarming for specific groups. More than one in four undergraduate women (26.4%) experience sexual assault during their college years, and 21% of students with nonconforming gender identities face similar violence.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), women ages 18-24 who are college students are three times more likely than women overall to experience sexual violence. Male college students in the same age range are 78% more likely than their non-student peers to be victims of rape or sexual assault. RAINN also notes that sexual violence occurs more often on campuses than some crimes that receive far more public attention. Female college students are two times more likely to be sexually assaulted than robbed.

What is it about campus environments that causes more sexual violence?

For many young people, college represents independence, opportunity, and the beginning of adulthood. But unfortunately, these exact aspects of campus life increase the risk of sexual violence. College is the first time many students are living away from home. Students may be in an unfamiliar environment, without the family, teachers, coaches, and community members that once surrounded them. New social circles, party culture, and alcohol consumption also play a role. Many students are navigating these experiences for the first time, sometimes without clear guidance or boundaries, and what was once an exciting environment full of possibilities can quickly become one associated with pain and trauma.

The timing of most campus sexual assaults is also telling. Over half of campus sexual assaults occur between August and November, a period often referred to as “the Red Zone” amongst advocates, when students are new to campus and relationships are still forming.

But focusing only on the campus environment misses the deeper issue.

Sexual violence isn’t about sex. It’s about power and control. It grows from attitudes and beliefs about who holds power in our society and who does not. Sexism, racism, homophobia, and ableism can create harmful ideas about who is valued in our society and who is not. These beliefs are often normalized in entertainment media and everyday conversation through objectification or degrading stereotypes. And while most people who repeat a sexist or homophobic joke or stereotype will never commit sexual violence, these harmful attitudes create a culture where disrespect, entitlement, and dehumanization are tolerated. When those beliefs escalate, they can lead to harassment, coercion, and eventually, sexual assault.

To prevent sexual violence, both on and off college campuses, we must focus on preventing perpetration. We must address harmful attitudes and beliefs before they can ever escalate to violence.

Across North Dakota, many campuses provide Title IX resources, survivor advocacy services, prevention education, and bystander intervention training. Campus orientation sessions often include discussions about consent, alcohol safety, and reporting options.

These steps matter, but true prevention requires a broader community effort.

Students can support each other by promoting consent and speaking up when they see harmful behavior. Bystander intervention—stepping in when someone may be at risk—can stop situations before they escalate.

Parents and caregivers should have open conversations about respect, relationships, boundaries, and consent long before their children leave for college. These discussions help students recognize unhealthy behaviors and understand the importance of accountability.

Colleges must continue investing in prevention education and supportive services for survivors. And most importantly, they must take reports of sexual violence seriously and hold perpetrators accountable. Without the support of their college, victims are left to navigate a traumatic experience alone, and perpetrators face no consequences for their crimes.

And finally, everyone must challenge the attitudes and beliefs that allow sexual violence to exist in the first place. Young people should not have to avoid meeting new people, spending time on campus, or consuming alcohol to avoid being sexually assaulted. Preventing sexual violence means building environments where respect, consent, and equality are the standard, and where abusive behavior is neither normalized nor ignored.