Sometimes, I just really want to walk out of my house and not be afraid of the outside world. All these stories of girls getting raped because they “looked like the wanted it.” Do I look like that? Do I look like I want someone to assault me and take some of my body? I’m afraid to go anywhere alone.

I went to Walmart once in jean shorts and a T-Shirt. Nothing was showing, but a guy saw me and came up to me and asked me if I had a boyfriend and if I’d like to “have some fun” with him. Did I look like I wanted to “have some fun” with a random stranger? I was so afraid to walk out to my car by myself that I asked Walmart security to walk me to my car.

I’ve had someone follow me while I was walking on the sidewalk and they were in their vehicle, all the way down the street from my college. I was so terrified to stand there and get my keys out to unlock my car because I thought he would try and grab me, that I ran all the way back to school to get a security guard to walk me back. Why do I have to be afraid to walk out my front door alone, just because I’m a woman? I didn’t choose to be a woman and I sure don’t choose to be sexualized.

Women who are in college are three times more likely to endure sexual violence than any other women group, according to Rainn.org, a sexual assault website. So, because I chose to go to school and further my education to help get myself a better future, and because I’m a woman, I’m thrown into this pool of fear of sexual assault? How does that seem fair? I should be able to feel safe at my school.

1 out of every 6 women have been a victim of rape. There are 14 females in my Fairy Tales class. That means that at least 2 of the wonderful women in my class statistically will be raped at some point before they are 35. Why should I have to cover myself up because another man (or woman) cannot control themselves? Why should I have to change my lifestyle to fit another person’s life?

Rape culture is not something that should go unnoticed. Brock Turner raped an unconscious woman that was also under the influence. Not only did they push the case under the rug, but they also made sure to post his swimming times to try and generate some type of sympathy for him instead of against him. This woman has to live with that for the rest of her life. She has to live with the nagging feeling every time she walks out her front door. “Will something like that happen again?” “Am I dressed appropriately?”

Women are conditioned to cater to men’s hormonal feelings, and sometimes even that’s not enough. Instead of trying to condone the behavior and change our lives, why not teach rape culture more extensively in schools and institutions and have more severe punishments for those that do commit those disgusting acts? As a woman who is afraid of being sexually assaulted every day of my life, unfortunately I know that this is never going to happen, because society doesn’t see anything wrong with the way it’s acting.

As long as you have good swim scores, you’re safe from incarceration.