Feminism's Impact on Sexual Assault Discourse by blogger Ryan Flynn

1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted on college campuses in America…that we know of. The accuracy of this number varies due to the fact that not all assaults are reported by 1) the victims and 2) the colleges that the assault occurred at. In many universities, this rape culture has persisted for decades upon decades, and only now is the severity of the situation getting media and administrative attention on a scale that makes change possible.

This change in mindset is due in part to a rising third wave of feminism, which has grown strong among the millennial generation. What this third wave of feminism has done is question the way we treat sexual assault, or more generally sex-positivity, consent, reproductive rights, and relationship equality. A majority of college campuses now teach about sex and consent upon entrance into the institution and continually offer programs to discuss relationships and relationship equality.

2014 was a momentous year for feminism. Ivy League schools like Harvard and University of Virginia, among others are being named and shamed for not addressing women’s sexual assault reports. The Department of Education also released a list of universities under investigation for mishandling sexual misconduct cases and for allowing those accused to get away with a slap on the wrist. The issue of sexual assault was brought into the White House with President Obama being the first President ever to use the words “sexual violence.” A collective alarm bell has been raised this year, especially on college campuses.

Among sexual assaults on college campuses, 90% of the cases are perpetuated by a small number of males, which are called “serial rapists”. However, to combat serial rapists takes a collective support of students on the campus, as well as administrative support and competency to handle the situations that may arise.

This third wave of feminism has improved the ability to have a thoughtful discourse on the subject of sexual assault on campus, instead of the issue being shrugged off as something that a victim "has to learn from." Now justice can be attained. The system is not perfect, and there is some discussion about whether or not college administrators are trained well enough to handle these cases, or whether law enforcement should be involved in every reported case. Either way, we can all thank feminism for helping to open the discourse needed to combat the heinous act that is sexual assault.