This past week, the issue of sexual assault has become an increasingly prominent topic of discussion, as we continue to hear about it in the context of celebrities, the media and events on college campuses. Even at Whitman, controversy arose because of the lack of respect shown toward the speaker in an assembly meant to educate students on the issue.

What happened at school last Wednesday shouldn’t be dismissed as a small incident at a local high school. Instead it ought to be viewed as a microcosmic reflection of the problem of sexual assault in society as a whole.

The fact is, girls do have something to be scared about. The CDC reported in 2012 that nearly one in five women experience rape at some point in her life. This issue is prevalent in our society and, as the assembly speaker Ms. Banks noted, we do need to be aware of our surroundings.

It’s troubling that in my school—a place where I should feel safe—some students seemingly belittled this critical issue. Students who were clapping and jeering disrespected women who are violated, touched, groped, forced, abused, used and raped.

We’ve read in the news that prominent comedian Bill Cosby sexually assaulted 12 women over the course of many years. Reports say that he may have coerced women into keeping quiet. However, Cosby’s lawyers have deflected the allegations.

These women were brave in speaking out against someone of such prestige. Sexual assault victims shouldn’t be ashamed or hide, because they are not in the wrong. The only way to create change is to create dialogue.

Another example highlighting the issue of rape culture includes a scandal revealed last week at the University of Virginia. Colleges have often been targeted for sweeping sexual allegations under the rug. Like Cosby, many institutions including UVA do not always want to own up to the mistreatment of women.

Rolling Stone reported that in 2012, a freshman woman was gang-raped by seven men. The administration, among others, convinced her not to report the crime. Only after the article came out did the school take action.

This problem is not limited to colleges. CNN reports that Monday, hundreds of students staged a walkout at an Oklahoma high school in response to allegations that one student raped three girls. The teens criticized the school for failing to adequately deal with the rape claims and the bullying that ensued as a result.

Here, Principal Alan Goodwin decided to address the issue head on, starting with organizing the assembly. After the disrespect in the assembly, Goodwin’s preliminary effort to investigate and address what went wrong included sending an email to parents explaining what happened and holding a discussion with the leadership class. He is hoping to lead more conversations with English classes.

However, these actions are not enough to incite change. Moving forward, what should be remembered is not the inappropriateness of some students’ actions at the boys assembly. Instead, we should focus on the dialogue. We need to continue the conversation by creating awareness of the issue, because, unfortunately, statistics show that many students will witness or fall victim to sexual assault in the future.

Let’s be different than UVA. Let’s educate future generations on how to behave around each one other. Let’s set an example as a school that takes progressive action. Let’s become a model for how everyone should treat each other. Let’s be a model for change.