It’s hard to form an opinion on Betsy DeVos’ proposal for reworking the rules concerning policing sexual assault on college campuses because she has yet to outline specifically what that entails.

But, I already know I disagree with her on one aspect of this remodel. DeVos, current secretary of education, plans to instate more protocol to further protect the accused.

Of course, there are instances where innocent people are falsely accused, but this doesn’t account for the amount of people who never receive justice due to a corrupt system. The accused need rights, but their rights should not be more important than the survivors’ rights and should not impede justice.

We don’t want to return to the time when survivors were hesitant to speak up because they knew their case would be quietly resolved without proper consequences for the perpetrator.

According to the Rape, Assault and Incest National Network, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the nation, “23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault,” regarding undergraduate students.

Also, only one in six of these female survivors received help from a victim services agency.

Survivors are still unwilling to report their experience. This could be caused by many factors, like shame, confusion or the belief that nothing will change. These statistics might just seem like numbers.

As a woman and someone who has experienced sexual assault and harassment, I know for certain that these statistics mean a lot more. Many of my friends have had similar experiences. All of them, like me, didn’t report what happened to them or even realize that what happened to them was sexual assault.

If it was easier and less intimidating for survivors to speak up and feel as if their experiences will make a difference, we would not have the problem we have today. People believe they will get away with their crimes and be protected, because that’s what has happened in the past.

Don’t get me wrong, the accused should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise, but they also need to be held accountable. Each side should have equal resources and information.

But, if the government puts additional hurdles in the path of the victim, they will be less likely to follow through with an allegation, furthering rape culture in America.  

With sexual assault there is definitely a large gray area, and alcohol only makes this more confusing. The “he said, she said” nature of it can make it hard to prosecute when it’s one person’s word against another. That is why it’s important to document assault at the very least.

Please know there are resources for you if you have experienced something you believe might be sexual assault. You can contact the student health center, the campus police, the local law enforcement or ACCESS. I will continue to support survivors of sexual assault, even if Betsy DeVos won’t.