Sexual assault has been and continues to be the most underreported crime in the United States. In fact, “only 344 out of 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to the police, meaning that about two out of three cases go unreported” (Bureau of Justice Statistics). Many women who are victims of sexual assault do not feel the importance of reporting the crime due to the failure of the justice system. Evidence is not taken seriously, victims are blamed for the actions of their attackers, and the sexism that prevails over concrete evidence is prevented in sexual assault cases. These reasons continually prevent women from taking the next step toward justice after being sexually assaulted. This is a major issue because there are many movements advocating for education on the topic, each encouraging victims of sexual assault to speak out. Yet why would a young girl or woman speak out about her assault if it is almost impossible to trust that the justice system will deliver justice for the crime? All of these problems are evident when we look at the recent case of Brock Turner, an attacker who was released early, after serving only half of his six months, a sentence that was too lenient to begin with. People need to stop guessing why so many cases go unreported and look at the obvious, the failure of the justice system. Women underreport sexual assault cases due to the justice system's continued failure to take reports seriously, as evidenced by the Brock Turner case. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Victim blaming and “slut shaming” are two extremely common themes in sexual assault cases that contribute to the number of cases of unreported sexual assault. Sexual assault is constantly blamed on alcohol and promiscuity, on the idea that the victim was “asking for it.” Examples include drinking alcohol irresponsibly, the clothes a woman wears, or how a victim might put themselves in that situation. Sexual assault is defined as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient” (U.S. Department of Justice). It is important to emphasize the words “without explicit consent”. If a woman “asked for it,” the act would not be considered sexual assault, and any action other than a verbal yes is not considered consent. In the Brock Turner case, Turner and his defense repeatedly attempted to blame the assault on alcohol and the victim was repeatedly questioned about his drinking and partying habits during the trial . The victim responded by saying: "We were both drunk, the difference is I didn't take off your pants and underwear, I didn't touch you inappropriately and I ran away" (The Guardian). In addition to blaming Jane Doe's social life, Stanford's partisan culture was also blamed. In fact, two months after Brock Turner's conviction, Stanford banned hard alcohol at campus parties, as well as a limit on beer and wine (CNN). This policy change means that Stanford must acknowledge that alcohol is responsible for Brock Turner's actions. Instead of blaming alcohol abuse and “party culture,” students should receive more education about consent, and schools should hold perpetrators accountable for their conduct. In addition to blaming victims, the justice system gives.