And that's why I'm gon' take a good girl
I know you want it
I know you want it
I know you want it
You're a good girl
Can't let it get past me
You're far from plastic
Talk about gettin blasted
I hate these Blurred Lines
I know you want it
I know you want it
I know you want it
But you're a good girl
The way you grab me
Must wanna get nasty
Go ahead, get at me
…
Just let me liberate you…
(Lyrics by Pharrell Williams)

 Rape occurring on college campuses have become alarmingly frequent. In recent years there has been more public awareness of sexual assault on campuses. Sexual assault is a broad term, which includes rape or any unwanted sexual contact. The rape epidemic on campuses victimizes men and women, causing a negative effect on their education. There are different human rights issues concerning men and women that need to be addressed in formal policies. Earlier mandatory sexual assault education of students and staff will help decrease the number of victims on college campuses. Different campus policies are essential in managing the rape on campuses. If formal actions are taken, to promote early education, specifically define and explain campus policies, rape will decrease on college campuses.

Women are victims of sexual assault. "19% of US undergrad women are victims of sexual assault while in college" (Campus Sexual Assault Study, Time 23). That means 1 in 5 females who attend college will experience sexual assault.  This is a staggering level of affected woman and is simply intolerable. When gaining their independence by attending college, women are being put at great risk of sexual assault on a campus. The most obvious at risk scenario is when a female student is walking alone at night from the library back to her dorm. However, saying no to intimacy and not being heard is another precarious situation. Another situation that females can avoid is binge drinking at parties, which will allow them to be in control of their actions.

On the other hand, men "...argue that their due process rights have been violated and say that they have been victims of gender discrimination under Title IX" (Yoffe 4). Title IX of the education amendments of 1972, prohibits sex discrimination and if upheld, grants colleges with federal money (Time 24). Men are starting to fight back on these laws, saying they are the also victims of rape. Men have alleged that college administrations have violated their due process. They feel that they are being accused without proof and when accused, not educated on their rights (Yoffe 4). Although regulations in private universities are different than public, all universities should ensure all parties are heard via a 3rd party representative on campus (Yoffe 15). Parents sending their son off to college would be reluctant to send him to a university that doesn’t protect his rights. Part of protecting female and male students is educating them on their rights, not just signing off on a document.

Students are uneducated on the harsh effects of rape.  "Being young does make people more vulnerable to serious violent crime, including assault; according to government statistics those aged 18 to 24 have the highest rates of such victimization." (Yoffe 4). Students need to be educated earlier on the effects of sexual assault. They need to be educated as early as high school, to fully understand the morality, and the respect of each other as men and women. High schools could develop and implement specific programs targeting these areas. Also, there are three elements to take into consideration when educating students about sexual assault. There is the potential perpetrator, a victim, and the bystander (Time 26). The potential victims need to be made aware how to change their own behavior. One highly controversial behavior change would be to stop binge drinking which exposes the potential victim as more vulnerable target (Yoffe 18). Boys have been told many times not to be a rapist but haven’t been told how to intervene safely in the situation. "Around 6% of college men surveyed in Lisak's study had committed rape, but the majority of them were repeat offenders, usually undetected." (Huffington Post 4). Because of the prevalence of the same perpetrator attacking new victims, the role of the bystander can reduce the occurrence of rape.  Since there are three parties, it is important to educate all students how to effectively handle different situations from different perspectives. Another factor that is important in education regarding sexual assault is having specific written policies addressing sexual assault that are clearly reviewed on admission.

If there is going to be a decrease in number of sexual assaults, the following issues need to be addressed: There needs to be a specific written collegiate definition of sexual assault and that due process for all parties must be ensured by campus officials. Because sexual assault is usually a private situation it relies on hearsay to establish facts to uncover the truth. Professor Rubenfeld of Yale Law school suggests, "...rape complaints should be heard by independent, trained professionals instead of school administrators"(Time 28). This will substantiate student’s rights through an objective third party that recognize both female and male parties. The Association for Student Conduct administration tells colleges: Campus sexual assault hearings should be “educational,” and “not punitive”; The school’s handling of sexual assault “should not mirror criminal process”; and colleges should use the preponderance of evidence standard in sexual misconduct cases” (Huffington Post 4). In criminal cases there needs to be no reasonable doubt to be convicted as guilty; versus, that which the Association for Student Conduct is suggesting: “preponderance of evidence” which indicates that there are enough facts to explore the situation further.  Finally, due to the high number of repeat offenders, specific policies need to be put in place to keep rape offenders off of campuses. The collaboration between campus and local authority needs to be established upfront to ensure the number of repeat offenders is decreased (Time 27).  The above recommendations together converge on representing all parties involved, education and prevention.

“…blurred lines. I know you want it…” Robin Thicke sings these strong lyrics in his song Blurred Lines. This song is frequently played on the radio and bought on iTunes as it topped the Billboard charts worldwide. Blurred Lines is assumed to be promoting rape as the idea presented is that a man can cross a woman’s personal boundaries, without her consent, (i.e. when she says, “NO”). Yet, both female and male college student’s rights need to be represented in formal campus policies to ensure these “blurred lines” are cleared. Students need to be educated on management of precarious situations and the related policies. Finally, the fact that the majority of perpetrators are repeat offenders means that a policy to remove those individuals from campuses and collaborate with local authorities is an obligation. The bottom line is, “One campus rape is too many.” (Yoffe 8).

Works cited

"Fewer than One-third of Campus Sexual Assault Cases Result in Expulsion." Huffington Post. N.p., 29 Sept. 2014. Web.

Gray, Eliza. "Sexual Assualt on Campus." Time 2014th ser. May.26 (2014): 20-27. Print.

Gillibrand, Kirsten. "The Debate: How Should Colllege Campuses Handle Sexual Assault." Time 2014th ser. May.26 (2014): 28-29. Print.