With the recent high profile case of Stanford swimmer and convicted rapist Brock Turner, attention is turning towards a remarkably pervasive issue at institutes of higher education across the nation. But Turner’s case is the exception, not the norm. In most instances of sexual assault, the story never comes close to attracting national attention. Far too often, it is either the victim who is too ashamed to speak up or the authorities assigned to the case who mishandle the evidence and conceal their failures. The result is the same: victims continue to suffer while perpetrators go unpunished.

A new Minnesota law is looking to change all of that. Passed by the state legislature in the 2015 session, the law went into effect on August 1st, 2016. From now on, all postsecondary institutions in the state will be required to provide mandatory training to their students on sexual assault prevention, in addition to reporting data on sexual assaults on campus and implementing an online system for reporting sexual assaults and harassment complaints. The law has been well-received by advocacy groups such as The Aurora Project and Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the former of which provides direct support to victims of sexual assault and the latter which offers legal resources and works to enact political change.

Although this law represents a huge step forward, it still reinforces the idea that sexual assault is primarily a problem confined to college campuses. Current statistics on sexual assault are vague, largely due to the fact that approximately 80% of sexual assault cases go unreported, according to the US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, it is estimated that teens ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape or sexual assault, and that 10.5% of girls report having forced sexual intercourse during high school. Considering the numbers, it is hard not to wonder why this new law only applies to postsecondary institutions.

The typical high school health curriculum covers topics such as proper nutrition, the dangers of drugs, and the importance of protected sex. However, the touchy issue of sexual assault typically never comes up, or if it does, it is simply glossed over. Although 20 states have laws in place that require health educators to teach strategies for avoiding “coercion in sexual relationships”, Minnesota is not one of these states, as reported by the Guttmacher Institute in their September 2016 summary. In addition, most high school students, regardless of their state’s standards on sexual education, are unaware of how to properly report a sexual assault incident and of what their legal rights are, in both school and criminal investigations.

On the positive side, legislators have begun to take notice. The Teach Safe Relationships Act of 2015, a Democrat-sponsored House bill, proposes to provide funding for the development of curriculum that teaches students to recognize and prevent relationship abuse and sexual violence. (Unfortunately, although over a year has passed since its introduction, the bill has still failed to make it past committee.) Other efforts include Erin’s Law, a bill already passed by 26 states that aims to prevent child sexual abuse by empowering parents, educators, and students themselves to identify and report potential cases. Certain state legislatures are also introducing “Yes Means Yes” laws, which uphold affirmative consent as the standard for sexual conduct.

It is important, however, to remember the power of the youth voice. Even though most high school students cannot yet vote, there are many other avenues of expression, ranging from advocacy groups to support organizations and educational outreach efforts. After all, we have a shared responsibility to work towards a safer and healthier school community.