“It is imperative the entire campus of Mississippi State be aware of sexual violence and not ignore the issue,” Pylate said. “Mississippi State is committed to creating and maintaining a community in which students, faculty and staff can work together in an atmosphere free of the threat of sexual assault,” Pylate said.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center is at the forefront of creating resources for all men and women to find information on sexual violence and its prevention.

Laura Palumbo, Prevention Campaign Specialist at NSVRC, said she believes there are many different conceptions of sexual violence.

“There are many misconceptions about sexual violence and rape.  Younger generations are misinformed.  Adults have to have accurate information in order to education our youth,” she said. “Rape can happen to anyone, and it happens everywhere.  People resist this idea because it means sexual violence could affect them or those they love. The reality is that it likely has affected them already,” Palumbo said.

Palumbo said she hopes the month of April brings awareness to an issue that affects more citizens than what is reported.

“Sexual Assault Awareness Month focuses on how raising awareness can be a part of preventing sexual violence.  Focusing on healthy sexuality is key to sharing information that equips adults and young people to make healthier choices and communicate positively,” Palumbo said.

Dylan Hales, a political science major, said he believes the topic of sexual assault and its awareness has increased in the last few years. Hales said he hopes more victims come forward to the public with their assault.

“I think it’s great to boost awareness about an issue that is happening every day, not only in this state but on this campus.  You never want someone you know and love to ever feel like they don’t have a voice in a situation like this,” he said. “As a guy, it’s tough to see stories where girls and women are afraid to come public because of the fear of their attacker getting away with it.”

Both Pylate and Palumbo said more needs to be done to bring awareness to society’ss view of sexual assault, but both also said they appreciate what has already been done.

“No one asks or deserves to be sexually assaulted, no matter what the circumstance,” Pylate said. “It is not the victim’s fault, it is the perpetrator’s.”

For more information about MSU’s security resources and sexual violence, visit msstate.edu/web/security/assault.html.