Last week, the 10th annual Take Back the Night rally took place on campus. The event, which originated in England and San Francisco, is an organized rally and march designed to increase awareness of sexual assaults and honor the victims of sexual assault.

While it may not be something talked about openly, sexual assault affects a lot of people. Judy Dolphin, YWCA executive director and Committee Against Violence adviser, said one in four women will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetimes.

But what exactly is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is not just rape. It is any unwanted, forced sexual contact. This could mean harassment, exposing or flashing oneself, fondling or unwanted sexual touching or rape – the actual penetration with any subject.

And rapists do not discriminate. Rapists choose their victims without regard for age, socioeconomic status, physical appearance or race. And frequently, the rapist is an acquaintance or family member.

Gaining knowledge about the realities of sexual assault and the frequency with which these crimes occur is important. And that is what the Take Back the Night rally sought to accomplish. As Dolphin put it, ” `Take Back the Night’ provides a partnership between victims and people who want to provide support for them.”

One important thing to consider in regard to sexual assault is the role men play in rape and sexual assault prevention. This is also something groups at Iowa State are tackling this month – Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Visible Allies, an awareness program on the ISU campus, started a pledge by men to end rape. Hundreds of men signed the petition.

The group is building a coalition of men that are actively trying to end violence against women. This is important. You always hear of women’s and feminist groups working to create a sense of awareness, but something you don’t hear enough of is men taking the initiative to combat sexual violence. In addition to merely raising awareness, Visible Allies seeks to guide men to a level of action that might otherwise be invisible to peers.

Groups like Visible Allies are rare. And that is an unfortunate reality. Men commit the majority of sexual crimes against women. They should be just as concerned about the safety and well-being of women as women are. After all, these are our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our girlfriends, our nieces. There’s no reason that men shouldn’t be at the forefront of these movements, fighting on the front lines to ensure women are safe.

It’s reassuring to know that members of the ISU community – both men and women – are actively pushing for more awareness of sexual violence against women. And it’s also reassuring that they are working to create an environment where women need not be concerned about their safety.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Charlie Weaver, Omar Tesdell