Sexual Violence on College Campuses: Prevention Instead of Treatment

Statistics in the United States for sexual assault are staggering. Rates of sexual assaults of college students are higher than our national rates. 20-25% of college women, and 15% of college men, will become victims of sexual assault, during their college attendance. National conversations have focused on the need for colleges and universities to intervene and prevent these occurrences. The federal government has mandated campuses actively implement comprehensive prevention strategies to address this epidemic. As caregivers, teachers, advocates and policy makers, nurses are in a unique position to make significant contributions to the prevention of college sexual violence. This can be done through the use of scholarship, skills and empathy to guide colleges and universities through complex policy issues, and through scholarship, teaching and advocacy, can help transform college campuses into communities where far fewer students will experience sexual assault.