Imagine a world where rape and sexual assault never happened.
Potential partners' motivation and intentions would not be doubted; those who are often seen by society as potential victims would not have to worry about their evening taking a horrible turn; those who are often seen by society as potential perpetrators would not have to feel that their friendliness is being mistaken for something insidious.
No one would suffer from health effects or difficulty in school related to the trauma of sexual assault either as a child or adolescent or while attending college.
Students can organize themselves into a force for social change to work for a world free from sexual violence. How can you become an advocate and ally on your campus?

• If you have been assaulted
  
• If you're in danger of harming someone
  
• Know your rights for college students
  
• Learn more and take action
  
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, gender-nonconforming, and queer specific resources
  
• To help a friend who has been assaulted
  

It's scary to think of the high rates of sexual violence that occur on college campuses. It's the last thing your student deserves, and the last thing that any person should have to contend with in their quest for an education.
The best action you can take for your son or daughter is to advocate for a stronger institutional framework of prevention and response. As a 'customer,' what you say matters, and you can be a part of bringing campus-wide change to your student's school.
     On a personal level, you can educate yourself on the dynamics of sexual violence at college, and share this knowledge with your son or daughter. 

     And, most importantly, you can be there for your student if they tell you they've been assaulted.

• Debunking myths about sexual violence on campuses
  
• How to advocate for and respond to your student
  
• What to look for in a school
  

     How the media interprets and reports stories about sexual assault greatly influences the ways that the public views and understands sexual violence.
     Does the article you're writing focus on details which lead the reader to believe that the victim is at fault, such as what clothing they were wearing?
     Does the report situate an incident within the context of the nationwide endemic levels of sexual violence, or treat the case as an isolated act of a mentally ill perpetrator?
     Both of these frameworks play into, and reinforce, the myths which surround sexual violence. Learn below how your reporting can lay the groundwork for preventing sexual violence through education, awareness, and social norms change.

• Best practices for investigation, language and terminology in reporting
  
• Ethical journalism and sexual violence
  

You are in the unique position of developing relationships with tens, hundreds, and thousands of students. Between 20-25% of those will be raped at some point in their college career. Through your speech and actions, you can become known as an ally in the work for a safer and healthier, more accepting campus, free from sexual violence.
     

• Make your classroom and office a safe space for discussions of gender, sexuality and violence;
• integrate violence prevention lessons into your curricula through innovative partnerships with your fellow colleagues who study it or through off-campus learning opportunities;
• Be prepared to respond when someone discloses to you by knowing reporting procedures and having resources for students at your fingertips 

• How to support students who disclose to you
  
• Learn more and take action
  

Gone are the days when it was assumed that violence simply did not happen at higher education institutions. Gone, too, are the days when the hard work of prevention and response could be left to one staff person or student group. And campuses are better for it: safer, more open places where students can engage in healthier relationships.

Administrators and staffpeople are working together in the service of students to form a network of institutional support for prevention.

To join their important work, explore below.

• How to support students who disclose to you
  
• Law and legal compliance
  
• Minnesota Department of Health prevention development
  
• Model programs and initiatives on campuses
  
• Policy best practices for sexual violence and sexual harassment
  
• Prevention of sexual violence on college campuses
  
• Understanding sexual violence on campuses
  

How often does sexual violence occur on college campuses?
According to the National Institute of Justice¹, over the course of their college career 1 in 4 women and 1 in 17 men will be raped.

Why does sexual violence occur so often?
Risk factors for perpetrating sexual violence² reveal why rates are so high. Risk factors include having friends who are sexually aggressive; engaging in heavy alcohol or drug use; and being exposed to social norms, or shared beliefs, that support sexual violence.

How can you prevent sexual violence on your campus?
At Minnesota Department of Health, we believe that sexual violence is preventable. The key is found in partnerships among diverse groups of stakeholders and a strategy of social norms and environmental change which targets the roots of sexual violence. We all have a part to play in preventing sexual violence: journalists, faculty, administrators, staff, parents, and st

1. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf
2.http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/sexualviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html