In response to campus sexual violence, the new state law requires consent to be explicit and affirmative
Staff Editorial
Last month Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law requiring colleges and universities to set guidelines and protocols defining sexual consent.
Forcing accountability with legislation is a small step towards curbing the rise of campus sex crimes encountered by one in four women in the nation.
While going to college they should be worried about essay deadlines and being late to class, not whether they will be raped or not.
Numerous universities across the country have failed to support female students in the way they respond to sexual assaults. This law pressures administrators to better handle such cases, but it only places a bandage on the aftermath.
It’s a social issue, with college hookup culture making the word rape an ambiguous one. The fact that more than 80 percent of assaults are committed by someone the victim knows muddles things. Many women go along with something sexual they weren’t really comfortable with and are left confused about what happened.
Now, there will be no more assumptions. Unless they say yes, it’s a no.
While it may not change how students have sex, this law will further protect them in the event of an assault. We can go from victim blaming and pushing it under the rug to better ensure that justice is served.
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