Jarrett Joins Conference To Address Sexual Assaults On Campuses
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Sexual assaults on college campuses are at epidemic levels and new public service announcement addresses the issue, an adviser to President Barack Obama said Wednesday in Los Angeles.
"Right now, 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while in college. That's an epidemic," said Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the president, who along with Vice President Biden unveiled the It's On Us campaign a year ago to end sexual assaults.
"It's On Us is a grassroots effort to get everyone engaged," said Jarrett, who was in Los Angeles to speak at the National Sexual Assault conference.
The conference began more than a decade ago and alternates between the West Coast and East Coast. The venues continue to change because the number of participants continues to grow. This year they maxed out with 1,500 people.
Ashlee Wing came to the conference from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, where she's a graduate student. "Education first and foremost is key," she said. "We need to shift our culture."
Organizers hope these conferences and PSAs will help get the message out.
"We believe that together we can end sexual violence," Sandra Henriquez of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault said.
