Sexual assault is defined as any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. The definition of sexual assault includes sexual activities such as forced sexual intercourse, forced sodomy, pedophilia, incest, touching. In the United States, 80% of sexual assault victims are under 30 years old. Of these 80%, 44% are under 18 years old (RAINN, 2016). This leaves 36% of victims between 18 and 30 years old. These percentages become even more alarming when these 80% concern approximately 293,000 victims of sexual assault each year (RAINN, 2016). It is estimated that one in six women in the United States have been or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. The risks of sexual assault are increasing on college campuses. Women ages 18 to 24 enrolled in college are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence (RAINN, 2016). You would think that with all these women being sexually assaulted, we would hear more about it, or maybe the police stations would be constantly busy. This is not the case. Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with 68% remaining unreported (RAINN, 2016). This could be because out of 100 rapists, only 2 will spend a day in prison. Of the 32 cases reported out of 100, only 7 result in an arrest (RAINN, 2016). Why would men or women want to report sexual assault when the system meant to protect them so often fails, and why does that system continue to fail? When it comes to sexual assault on college campuses, there is also the question of what colleges can do. to do to reduce the number of sexual assaults. Bradford Richardson and Jon A Shields wondered the same thing, so they conducted a...... middle of paper ......e Dean rather than reporting to the police. A police report and investigation takes time and the rapist may still be walking around campus. But if we denounce the dean, there is a small private legal procedure to have the rapist removed from at least his classes if there are any. Perhaps this will make victims more aware that, although it may take longer and be more difficult, reporting the situation to the police may be a better solution. Then we hope that the rapist will be sent to prison, which will make the victim feel safe. Perhaps this track will also raise awareness about sexual assault and how it can be stopped. In my research paper, I want to continue to examine stories of sexual assault, potential causes, more statistics, and what we can do to reduce the number of sexual assaults on college campuses. Hopefully, if anything substantial is discovered, it can be incorporated into SIU policies..