Editorial: Sexual assault is not a college experience. Stop treating it like one.

For many, college is supposed to be a time of opportunity. It is where students meet lifelong friends, discover who they are, pursue their passions and begin building the lives they envision for themselves.

There is something deeply unsettling about knowing that a place where students are supposed to grow, learn and build their futures can also be a place where they experience some of the most violating moments of their lives.

Sexual assault is not an unfortunate part of the college experience. It is not something students should have to learn to live with, prepare themselves for or accept as a possibility of being on campus. It is a violation that can change someone’s life, and it deserves to be treated with the seriousness it demands.

As women working in a newsroom, we spend our days reporting on the community around us, creating content for different audiences, telling stories that deserve attention and holding institutions accountable. But we are also women navigating the same world we report on. We are students, colleagues, friends and people who deserve to feel safe on the campuses where we work and learn.

To watch the Cornell University sexual assault case unfold has brought forward a range of emotions: anxiety, exhaustion, fury and distrust. But perhaps most disturbing has been the amount of sexual assault cases that are not acknowledged or plastered across national news.

The reality is that this is not new. We have heard this story before. For many, this story hits close to home.

Much of our lives involve learning how to protect ourselves from the possibility of sexual violence. We are taught to watch our drinks, share our locations, avoid walking alone, be careful about who we trust and constantly remain aware of our surroundings.

Yet, when sexual assault happens, the conversation too often shifts toward what the survivor could have done differently.

Were you drinking? Why did you go there? Did you say yes at some point? Did you overthink what happened? Did you make someone think their behavior was okay?

Why are survivors expected to answer an endless list of questions while the behavior that caused the harm becomes secondary?

Sexual assault is not a misunderstanding to be brushed aside, and it should never be minimized because of someone’s social standing, athletic ability, fraternity affiliation, reputation or popularity.

If you grew up in a public school, you’re likely familiar with the phrase “see something, say something.” People have come to reject that mantra, but clearly, we all need another lesson.

The onus of speaking out against this kind of behavior is typically placed on the survivor, especially when those survivors are female. In the wake of life-altering, traumatic experiences, survivors are often forced into a position where they must be their own biggest advocate.

It’s not rocket science to conclude that is unjust.

Universities have a responsibility that extends beyond publishing policies and providing students with reents understand their rights, know where to seek help and trust that their concerns will be handled with care

Prevention, transparency, accountability and meaningful support cannot simply exist on paper. They must be reflected in the way institutions respond when someone comes forward.

When students do not trust that their universities will take their experiences seriously, investigate appropriately or hold people accountable, they become less likely to report what happened. It creates a cycle in which people remain silent because they do not believe anything will change.

Sexual assault does not discriminate. It affects women and men, students and faculty, people of different backgrounds and people in every corner of society. This is not an issue that should be reduced to a gender debate or something we only discuss when a case becomes national news.

We need to educate people more on the matter. We need to let survivors know it is OK to speak up when something like this happens to them, and we as people need to actually listen when they do.

But speaking up should not be a responsibility placed solely on survivors. Anyone who witnesses concerning behavior has a responsibility to consider what they can do. Speaking up does not always mean confronting someone directly. It can mean checking on someone, intervening when it is safe, reporting concerning behavior or helping someone find the re

We cannot claim to support survivors while simultaneously participating in the culture that punishes them for coming forward. We cannot continue to question their decisions, minimize their experiences or allow someone’s reputation, popularity or position on campus to outweigh the harm they have caused.

Survivors should never have to fight an entire community just to have their experiences taken seriously. They should not have to wonder whether they will be believed, whether their university will support them or whether speaking out will make their lives even more difficult.

College campuses should be places where students feel safe enough to become who they want to be, not places where they have to learn how to live with what someone else has done to them.

Everyone should consider what they might do if presented with the opportunity to speak up. Instead of allowing privilege or plausible deniability to protect their sense of comfort, they should think about what impact their inaction could have on a survivor.

Ask yourself: Is my peace worth more than theirs?

Sexual assault should never be normalized. It should never be dismissed as a misunderstanding, an isolated incident or something students simply must navigate while earning a degree.

We owe students more than promises. We owe them action, accountability and a campus culture that makes it clear that sexual violence will not be tolerated.

Because no one should sacrifice their sense of safety to receive an education.