Whether a misguided attempt at humor or something more sinister, the message painted on two Northwest College students' cars last week spoke loudly. Scrawled in bright paint, the words read: “It's not rape if you yell ... surprise.”The statement is making the rounds on the Internet, especially on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, where it's generally passed off as a joke. Unfortunately, it's now making the rounds at NWC. Jokes are supposed to be funny — this one is simply offensive. Rape victims aren't laughing, their friends aren't laughing and their families aren't either.According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in six women in the United States has been a victim of sexual assault, and most (eight out of 10) knew their attackers. And still, many rapes go unreported due to the social stigma and blame attached to sexual assault.However, as is often the case, something positive can come from this incident. Parents can use it as a teaching tool to help their kids understand appropriate humor as well as the issues surrounding sexual assault. Powell High School and NWC can and should expand the dialogue about student safety — and students can and should use the subject as the beginning of frank discussions among themselves.

Whether a misguided attempt at humor or something more sinister, the message painted on two Northwest College students' cars last week spoke loudly. Scrawled in bright paint, the words read: “It's not rape if you yell ... surprise.”The statement is making the rounds on the Internet, especially on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, where it's generally passed off as a joke. Unfortunately, it's now making the rounds at NWC. Jokes are supposed to be funny — this one is simply offensive. Rape victims aren't laughing, their friends aren't laughing and their families aren't either.According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in six women in the United States has been a victim of sexual assault, and most (eight out of 10) knew their attackers. And still, many rapes go unreported due to the social stigma and blame attached to sexual assault.However, as is often the case, something positive can come from this incident. Parents can use it as a teaching tool to help their kids understand appropriate humor as well as the issues surrounding sexual assault. Powell High School and NWC can and should expand the dialogue about student safety — and students can and should use the subject as the beginning of frank discussions among themselves.