Sexual Assault is a Major Problem in the United States

Sexual assault happens all over the country, but each state has different laws and definitions for it. If it is so common and happens all over, then why aren’t sexual assault laws the same all over? Sexual assault laws should be the same across the United States of America.

Sexual assault is extremely common. It happens to men, women, children, to the old, and the young. It can happen at any time. It can happen at any place. It can be by someone you know, or it can be by a complete stranger.  

It does not make sense for there to be different laws in the states because sexual assault is extremely common. Why would a person from one state travel to another state and sexually assault someone? The answer is simple. They would do it because the laws and sentencing may not be as strict in the state they traveled to than the state they came from.

I am going to be comparing the laws in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Georgia does not have an exact definition for sexual assault, instead there are many branches of sexual assault that are defined. According to ChancoSchiffer, “Sexual assault is an expansive area of law in Georgia with dozens of statutes in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) defining different sex crimes and related terms, as well as explaining the various punishments for each.” There are at least 8 different sections for sexual assaults ranging from child molestation to incest.

According to RAINN, Pennsylvania defines sexual assault as “Sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse without the complainant’s consent.” There are at least nine branches of sexual assault in Pennsylvania ranging from rape to sodomy.

The branches in each state are also different. Reports on sexual assault are on the rise in the nation. So why wouldn’t we have the same set of laws throughout the country?

Sexual assault is a very personal topic to me, and it is one that I feel strongly about. This is because I’ve been sexually assaulted multiple times. It has all been people that I knew and trusted. It has happened in my own home, and in the home of the person who did it. But it doesn’t stop there. My best friend was assaulted in high school by her boyfriend. There were other girls in high school that were also assaulted.

Being sexually assaulted was a difficult experience for me. Personally, it made me hypersexual and made me think that men only want me for my body. The emotional burden that I’ve carried is one that I wish on no one. Everyone’s experience and how they handle the trauma is different. take my best friend for example, it made her dislike men for the longest time.

Now that I’m older and out of high school, I hear about sexual assault a lot more. People are more willing to talk about there experience and how it made them feel. I hear about different people being assaulted at different colleges and in different states. I get angry when I find out the sentencing, but once I started doing research I realized that the laws are different in each state which makes sentencing different. 

         According to the article Sexual misconduct policies and administrator perceptions among 4-year colleges and universities in Georgia, different universities in the state of Georgia also have different rules, regulations, and definitions for sexual assault, even though they all have to report sexual assault under Title XI, the Jeanne Clery Act and the Campus SaVE Act.

         According to the research:

“A total of 21 schools’ sexual misconduct policies from 2014 were analyzed. Three schools did not have an updated sexual misconduct policy for 2014. Again, only 11 (45.8%) identified the Title IX Coordinator. All of the policies included sexual assault, 8 (33.3%) included domestic violence and/or dating violence, 9 (28.1%) included stalking, and 21 (65.6%) included sexual harassment. Consent was defined by 11 (34.4%) of the sexual misconduct policies. In addition, 16 policies (50%) identified whom could be contacted when sexual misconduct occurs, while 15 policies (46.9%) contained a description of the investigation procedures, and 10 policies (31.3%) included a description of the adjudication or grievance procedures. A total of 15 policies (46.9%) included a statement about the complainant’s rights, and 13 (40.6%) included a statement about the accused’s rights. None of the policies mentioned the burden of proof necessary to determine whether the code of conduct had been violated. Five policies (15.6%) mentioned that prevention programming was provided to students. None of the policies identified the types of safety and security services provided to students (e.g., escort services, blue emergency phones).”

The data shows that universities still do not know how to deal with sexual assault cases. Most students don’t report sexual assault because they are ashamed, are scared of getting in trouble because they were under the influence, or they’re scared of being victim blamed. Even though some universities have made progress, all universities should be making progress. That starts with having the same rules and laws on sexual assault.

In the article, Campus Sexual Assault Policies, it highlights the different states considering new legislation on sexual assault for colleges and universities. In the article it shows how states are trying to better the universities by enacting or introducing these new kinds of legislation. However, if all states had the same laws on sexual assault, there would not be a need to introduce different types of legislation in different states.

         Living in a country that has the same sexual assault laws may not stop people from sexually assaulting others, but I know that if a person does it in one state, then they will be charged the same as a person in another state. This may help lower the rate of sexual assault because they cannot go to a different state and sexually assault someone and get charged a lesser sentence.