Video: Growing Concerns About Sexual Assaults on College Campuses

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — Concerns about sexual assault on college campuses continue to grow, and even the White House is weighing in on the matter. In January, U.S. President Barack Obama established the Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Now, legislators and students are asking for more to be done.

“I was raped in my own dorm bed. The mattress is the perfect size for me to just be able to carry it enough to continue with my day. But also heavy enough that I have to continually struggle with it,” says Emma Sulkowicz, a performance art student at Columbia University.

21-year-old Sulkowicz will carry a small mattress around Columbia University, as long as she and her alleged rapist are on the same campus. Sulkowicz is one of 23 people who have filed a federal Title IX complaint about how universities are mishandling sexual assault cases. As the issue continues to make national headlines, MUW President Jim Borsig says educating students about sexual assault and safety is a priority.

“There’s extensive training for students that live in resident halls, university counseling center and the dean of student’s office and student life sponsor workshops on dating safety throughout the year,” says Borsig.

“This is criminal behavior,” says New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Gillibrand says what’s happening on college campuses is against the law. Now she’s asking for $100 million in federal funding to boost enforcement of current laws. Borsig says the reporting process is vital to keeping their campus safe.

“Two years ago, we trained all of our faculty and staff in the proper reporting methods on the campus, which are pretty simple. So that if a student approached them or a fellow member of the faculty or staff approached them they would know how to report,” says Borsig.

Nearly 20 percent of female students in the US are sexually assaulted as an undergraduate student.

The White House Task Force also released recommendations on how campus sexual assault should be handled back in April.