Coercive sex, abuse, harassment and manipulation are much less likely to come from a stranger, and much more likely to come from a friend or someone you’re dating. About four out of five sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

This makes it all the more painful and difficult to report.

I haven’t been the victim of any such crimes since coming to WSU. I had to learn the hard way, at home, that even someone you consider your friend can still treat you like an object.

I was not sexually assaulted, but I have been manipulated, sexually harassed and bullied.

In the instances that it happened, I didn’t recognize it for what it was and I let it go.

I let someone else manipulate me into feeling guilty because I wasn’t interested in sex or a relationship with them. I have had acquaintances demean me and manipulate me into spending time with them with threats of self harm.

Ultimately, I felt completely responsible for something that I now know was not my fault.

Thankfully, I had friends and family constantly around me who kept me grounded and reminded me what healthy relationships look like.

Many WSU students, especially freshmen and transfer students coming to campus for the first time, may feel more isolated and like they don’t have a support system they can trust.

The WSU community is a tight one, and I feel it’s important to for Cougs to be supportive of each other.

Manipulating and coercing someone into sex is not obtaining consent. A person should not be afraid to say no because their partner threatens some form of self-harm if they don’t behave in a certain way.

As Cougs, we should not be asking, “Why do you even hang out with them?” Be a solid emotional support, be a demonstration of what a healthy relationship looks like, recognize abuse and coercion, and most of all listen.

Trying to explain the trapped feeling of emotional abuse and manipulation is very difficult. Being a part of the fight against sexual violence does not have to be a hashtag campaign or public protest; it can be as simple as demanding respect, proactively enforcing your boundaries and watching out for your fellow Cougs.