The “me too.” Movement, started by Tarana Burke years ago, generated a groundswell of support and catapulted the issue of sexual assault to unprecedented heights around the world after the hashtag #MeToo went viral nearly a year ago.
This conversation is not new, but is much needed. The statistics tell us that sexual violence impacts 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men. These numbers are staggering, and we owe it to survivors everywhere and our communities to search for solutions and change these statistics.
With recent research from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) showing that 1 in 3 men don’t believe that intercourse resulting from coercion and pressure is sexual assault, we see that one solution is clearing up fundamental misunderstandings about consent.
Preventing instances sexual assault is possible, but it requires a frank discussion about consent, and what constitutes assault. It’s time to turn the volume up on this conversation and get everyone on the same page when it comes to consent during sex.