Rutgers is a huge school. Sometimes it’s hard for people to realize that their voice does, in fact, make a difference to the Rutgers community. The Rutgers NO MORE campaign is a student-run organization to end sexual violence. This campaign has reached out to so many people because it is the first on-campus chapter of NO MORE. It enables students to have the courage to speak out against sexual assault and to break down the barriers of shame, and it also encourages bystander intervention by hoping to change the conversation about sexual assault. Rutgers NO MORE doesn't end there, as it also targets derogatory phrases, harmful words, and uniformed decisions.

This campaign is so important to everyone, not just to victims. Some think, “That doesn’t happen at my school,” but in cold, hard truth: it does. Don’t believe me? Let's take a look at the facts:

24 percent of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual violence before coming to Rutgers.

20 percent of undergraduate women reported at least one instance of unwanted sexual contact since coming to Rutgers. This percentage is 1 out of 5 women.

5 percent of undergraduate males reported at least one instance of unwanted sexual contact since coming to Rutgers.

The hardest part of sexual violence is having the courage to speak up about the encounter. At Rutgers, only less than 8 percent of undergraduate women victims disclosed incidents of sexual violence to campus resources.

Secretary and contributing founder of the Rutgers' NO MORE campaign, Summer McSpirit, wrote about her feelings toward sexual violence: “I’m more terrified by the lack of understanding of the word 'consent,' and more terrified by the amounts of people who are misinformed about rape and its prominence on college campuses. I’m more terrified about the way that other survivors must feel, because while I know that I am more than what these men have done to me and I am more than just a survivor, I also know how it feels to not have realized that just yet.”

The NO MORE campaign is to help raise the percentage of victims who will report their encounters and to educate people on sexual violence in general. It is a way for survivors to know that they are not alone, and that they have people around them who will be there to support them through this difficult journey. This is why it is so important to spread awareness of this campaign and so that a stronger fight to end sexual violence at Rutgers is accomplished.

#RUSAYSNOMORE

You can receive confidential assistance or information about resources here. There are also ways you can take action or take the pledge against sexual violence. Don't hesitate to check out more information on Rutgers' NO MORE campaign, and help spread the word!