It seems that 2017 was the year of bringing light to sexual assault and harassment.

Many men and women came forward to shed light on the horrific and disgusting stories of sexual assault.

It wasn’t much time until some of the biggest names in Hollywood stepped up to tell their stories.

The 2016- 2017 school year the Contra Costa Community College District released a new Campus Crime Awareness Report.

The report’s sexual assault policy states, “the District Police, with the victim’s consent, will immediately conduct a criminal investigation of a reported sexual assault…disciplinary actions and/or criminal prosecution may be imposed on recognized individual students, student organizations, and/or district faculty and staff found responsible for a sexual assault.”

When it comes to our campus at Diablo Valley College the Student Code of Conduct clearly states that our college forbids, “rape, date rape, sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual assault, or threat of an assault upon a student or member of the college community on District property, or at a college or district sponsored or supervised function.”

To read more about DVC’s policies go to the website.

Even though violent sexual assault on campus is low to nonexistent according to the 2016-2017 Campus Crime Awareness Report, nonviolent sexual harassment numbers may be erroneously low because of women not speaking up.

When DVC students were asked about sexual harassment on campus and what the steps of prevention could be Ingrid Zulgis, 19, psychology major said that as a student we, “don’t see a lot of signs and there aren’t prevention buttons.”

Ashley Cunningham, 18, DVC student said that there are, “not that much security walking around on campus.”

One student, Laura Poo, 15, stated that because she had never been sexually harassed she did not have much to say on the issue.

If a student has been or knows someone that has been assaulted there are a few steps that can take place to ensure our authorities and leaders of the school are made aware. These are the resource to use:

Campus Police Services (925) 969- 2785

Vice President of Student Services (925)-969-2005

If a student has been assaulted and needs someone to talk to there are some confidential crisis hotlines to call, and some are available 24 hours of the day.

DVC recommends calling the Rape Crisis Center of Central Contra Costa at: 

Crisis Hotline (925) 798-7273 (24 hours)

Non-emergency Services (510) 237-0113

Women are given voices that hold power and with power can come real change. So speak up, tell your truth, don’t sit in shame and silence because that time is up.