With Judge Kavanaugh under investigation for sexual assault allegations dating back to his high school years it seems important to address this topic. From casual conversation heard around Whitney Young and from the variety of “hot takes” found on social media platforms it seems that many people don’t know what sexual assault truly is.

In the simplest of terms, sexual assault is any form of sexual contact or behavior that is unwanted by the recipient. Assault is a physical act and a serious crime no matter when it’s committed.

Assault has lasting effects, even if it happened in high school (or under the influence of alcohol). As WYHS student Ari Karafiol ’20 put it, “ There’s an idea that at the end of high school all the things you did get sealed off in a vault and are never seen again…that view marginalizes survivors.” A large percentage of survivors develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) as a response to the trauma of sexual abuse. These disorders can last a lifetime, and when a child is assaulted at 14 they have their whole life ahead of them.

Between fall of 2011 and spring of 2015 the Associated Press found 17,000 reports of sexual assault perpetrated by American K-12 students, obviously not accounting for the many cases that likely went unreported. However, in schools assault is often addressed as if it were purely harassment or bullying, which often allows it to go insufficiently punished or unaddressed entirely. While they are not completely to blame, many high school administrations are not properly prepared to deal with cases of student-student sexual assault, though they clearly should be.

Students themselves have varied opinions on how high schools handle sexual assault among their students and within their schools. WYHS student Mauricio Angelito ’19  was quoted as saying that, “if [sexual assault] does [happen] it’s dealt with in a manner that fits the situation.” However, another WYHS student ’19 who wishes to remain anonymous, believes that “[sexual assault]’s completely enabled by administrations who refuse to adapt to the ridiculous way that people choose to conduct themselves.” They went on to say that “[sexual assault] spans every classroom and is even less prosecuted when it’s school to school.”

These kinds of dichotomous responses are often the result of varying experiences with the topic at hand. But regardless of whether or not students believe sexual assault is handled properly, most agree that it must be dealt with.

The statistics are there to prove sexual assault happens among students. Lifelong effects of assault are present in a majority of victims. Students agree that abusers should be held accountable for their actions. So why do so many people refuse to acknowledge high school sexual assault on the same level as assault perpetrated by an adult? Why are victims allowed to be the ones who see their lives ruined by these crimes but not their abusers?

It’s about time adults faced the facts and took action, before another child grows up to a life of past trauma and an abuser gets to run free, before another wave of #metoo is allowed to form, before another victim is forced to relive their assault decades after it happened just for their abuser to be held accountable and is met with an onslaught of death threats and hatred.

It’s time to believe survivors.