Harassment, sexual assault, and rape  are a growing worldwide epidemic, and although they vary in degree, the effects are always detrimental. However, more people are taking a stand to stop crimes against women, and make the public aware of their effects.

Everyone recognizes the harassment that occurs on a daily basis; it is not a societal secret, and girls are not surprised when they exit their homes and have to endure some type of harassment.

To demonstrate the magnitude of the problem, aspiring actress Shoshana Roberts filmed herself walking the streets of New York City for ten hours, simply clad in a t-shirt, sneakers, and jeans. The video was sponsored by the international nonprofit group, Hollaback!, in order to show the widespread nature of catcalling.

In the video, Roberts was filmed over the course of ten hours in one day. By the end of her walk, she had been hollered at and catcalled over a hundred times, including phrases such as “Hey baby” and “Lookin’ good.”

Not only did Roberts have inappropriate comments spewed at her, but at times, men had followed her for several minutes attempting to incite a remark from her silence.

“I think the video is really powerful, and a lot of girls can relate to it,” senior Olivia Geraghty said. “It’s about time the issue is gaining attention.”

Harassment doesn’t just happen on the streets, though. In fact, it can happen to anyone at any place. According to The American Association of University Women, 48 percent of surveyed middle and high school students said they were sexually harassed at least once, typically by their peers, during the 2010-2011 school year.

The statistics are much worse when looking at college campuses. In a study conducted by Hollaback!, 67 percent of college students personally experienced harassment, and 82 percent either experienced or witnessed it.

Columbia University is one of many colleges at the center of public attention regarding the issue. Emma Sulkowicz, a senior at Columbia University, says that she was sexually assaulted on campus, but her alleged attacker — also a student attending Columbia — has yet to be expelled.

In order to raise awareness about survivors of sexual and domestic abuse, Sulkowicz now carries the fifty pound mattress on which she was assaulted everywhere she goes on campus.

According to The New York Times, Sulkowicz was dissatisfied with the way the university had handled the situation of her assault, which included allowing the accused student to remain on campus.  This led her to create the national “Carry That Weight” campaign.

Sulkowicz turned her case into her senior thesis project enabling her to carry the mattress until she gained justice.  Rather than suffering in silence, Sulkowicz manufactured an outlet for herself and others dealing with the aftermath of their sexual harassment.  Facilitated through a hashtag featured on popular social media, #CarryThatWeight, these people can share their personal story and spread their message, advice, and opinions.

Though Columbia University officials have yet to reach a verdict, Sulkowicz’s activism has raised national awareness. What had started as a single project, has turned into an international act of inspiration for other victims like her.

Students from Stanford University in California to Central European University in Budapest, Hungary had also taken part in the protest, posting photos of themselves with mattresses that contain phrases such as “You are not alone.”

Colleges have been handling cases such as Sulkowicz’s in accordance with Title IX, a “gender-parity law from 1972,” according to NYMag, that requires universities to facilitate and formally decide on sexual assault claims to ensure gender equality on campuses.

Still, survivors such as Sulkowicz, did not feel justice was adequately served, and therefore attempted to make people more aware of their stories.

According to SaferCampus.org, women ages 16 to 24 are raped at rates four times higher than the assault rate of all women, making college and high school vulnerable times for females.

“Schools, especially colleges, are supposed to be a place where students can feel safe,” senior Nikki Zizzo said. “They shouldn’t have to live in fear.”

So how can female students feel safe? According to Pact5.org, 95 percent of rape cases on college campuses go unreported. Therefore, it is advisable to tell someone right away if they feel sexual assault or harassment of some form is occurring. Other suggestions include to always walk with a cellphone. Secondly, try to avoid walking alone, especially with headphones, and people should always be aware of their surroundings.

In the long run, though, the best way to prevent the problem is to start a conversation as a society to stop it from occurring in the first place.