Dear Future President,

“This experience was not violent but it was violating and that still counts.” As many concerns run rampant, one serious matter has always been silenced and I'm here to bring these cases to the light. Sexual assault is very common,not only against women against everyone, and almost normalized in today's society. The short sentences lightly given out to sex offenders should be elongated by double even triple the amount of time they are getting away with.The fact that sexual assault victims are silenced and told their traumatizing experience(s) do not matter is an injustice to all human beings not just Americans.

“Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” Every 109 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. On top of that every 8 minutes, that victim is a child. Someone may say if it's not rape it doesn't matter and is not serious just because they did not all the way force themselves into/on you. Rape culture is not okay and should not be praised in the media. If that isn't a problem then I don't know what is. May I say the biggest problem here is the offenders are very unlikely to be prosecuted or if so they will have very short sentences.

Only 6 out of 1,000 offenders will be put in prison for their crime. Sex offenders will spend less time in jail than people prosecuted of drug possession or stealing. Most offenders will not have a longer stay than 3 years most will skate by with probation. While their victims on the other hand have to deal with so many different issues most commonly depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and many . To physically stand by and just watch this person spiral down the drain of life is not an option. As a society we need to help these victims feel safe by putting these perpetrators in their rightful place, prison.

I believe sentencing for convicted sex offenders should be longer . They took away someone's privacy, their own bodies, and rights. So to have them walking free with just probation or a light sentence should not be an option . For those who say the sentences justify the means I have to politely say I disagree, when you take away another person's rights, privacy and so much more you should get more then just probation or a few months in jail. Our victims need to feel some type of justice and safety while they try to recover from these traumatic life changing events. If someone sexually assaulted you would you want to see them walking free?

Sincerely,

An informed student