by Kat Lynch

Recently, many women have come out to the public about their experience being sexually assaulted. Many of these sexual assaults have been perpetrated by big-time Hollywood stars. It feels like each day there is a new victim and a new monster. In my opinion, it has been extremely overwhelming and scary to see how common sexual predators are, especially when they exist right under our noses. There have been so many allegations that it feels like people have almost forgotten about Harvey Weinstein and the horrible things he has done to women.  Not that this hasn’t always been an issue, but with the increase of the public attention on rape and sexual assault it feels like the issue has become more common. Now, more women feel like they need to watch their back 24/7 to ensure that nothing happens to them. This thought process has also encouraged more women to think back on their own experiences and define what has been consensual and what hasn’t. Many women may not even think that what happened to them was an act of sexual assault, but because of more stories being shared, they may start to reconsider.

Every time I get a new notification on my phone from the news apps, it is another woman coming forward about sexual harassment. I think it is important for women and the public to know what constitutes for sexual harassment. It’s super intimidating to be a woman while so many men have been convicted of such atrocities. It is super important for women to know what to do in case we are put in a position where we find this happening to ourselves.