Number 10: There is a one-in-four chance that the young woman you are dating or would like to date has already been sexually victimized before the age of 18. That is going to affect your relationship.

Number 9: If you don’t know the facts, you could hurt someone or get in trouble without really meaning to. For example, do you know that if you have sex with a woman who is too drunk to give consent, you could be changed with rape, even if you are drunk as well?

Number 8: Women who are sexually assaulted tend to tell their friends if they are going to tell anybody. Would you know what to do or say if a female friend of yours showed up at your door crying, telling you she had been raped? (Hint: Threatening to kill the guy responsible is not going to make her feel better.)

Number 7: Remember the girls you knew in high school? Well, one out of five of them was physically or sexually attacked by a dating partner before they graduated, according to an American Medical Association study.

Number 6: Do you have a sister? Do you know that she is in serious danger of sexual assault, not from a stranger, but from a guy she knows and thinks she can trust? Ninety percent of rapes of college women are committed by men the victim knows.

Number 5: Are you planning to be a teacher, a coach, a law enforcement officer, a medical or psychological care provider, a lawyer or a dad? Then the chances are 100 percent that you will have to deal with survivors of sexual assault or those who are at risk for sexual assault.

Number 4: Boys can be sexually assaulted, too. Experts estimate that one in seven boys is sexually victimized before the age of 18. Most perpetrators are male. If this happened to you, you may feel enormous shame, embarrassment, and confusion. Most guys have difficulty getting the counseling they need to deal with the abuse.

Number 3: You may not realize that seemingly innocent behaviors contribute to sexual assault. When guys talk about women as though they are “targets” for sex instead of real people with feelings, it promotes what scientists call a “rape-prone culture.” Lack of respect for women, even in jokes, adds to a high-risk environment on campus.

Number 2: Men on college campuses all over America are getting involved in sexual assault prevention to protect the women they care about. For example, several national fraternities sponsor speakers on rape prevention and educate their members about sexual assault as part of risk management. Many universities have all-male peer educator groups, like the “1 in 4” group at The University of Virginia (‘1 in 4’ refers to the number of women raped during their time at college).

Number 1: You can make a difference. You can learn the facts so you can help friends or family members, you can speak up when friends behave in a dangerous or disrespectful manner, and you can be part of a group of men and women who want to prevent any person from being victimized.

If you need to talk to someone confidentially about sexual assault, feel free to make an appointment with one of the professional at the Counseling Center, at 587-7720.