 Sixteen percent of students have had an unwanted sexual experience while in college in Ireland. A survey conducted by the Union of Students in Ireland has found a high case of sexual assaults among third-level students across the country. Of those surveyed, only three percent had reported the assault to the Garde. We spoke with college student who told us about her experience of being sexually assaulted. It was just one night when we had a lot of friends. Everyone was drinking. It was just drunk. I couldn't. I didn't know what was going on and what was happening around me. And one of the guys said, come on, I'll take care of you. I was oblivious to what was actually going on. And he said, kissing me and touching me. And I didn't even remember this, but until the next day, one night I was texting my friends. Apparently we had sex. My friends, when I talked to them and told them how I felt and how I felt like I was actually raped, they laughed. With students transitioning into college social life, many have various ideas of what sexual consent is. I think sexual consent is knowing throughout your whole encounter that the person is happy with what's going on and that they're okay with everything that is they're doing together. It's mutual agreement between two people, something that you feel in this day and age you really wouldn't have to think twice about. You feel like it's kind of hard to explain, like put it into words what it is, but you just know, you know, if somebody wants to go ahead and do something with you, they'll make that obvious. And if they don't, like you'll know too. Consent is not feeling pressured to do something that you don't want to do but also knowing that you, I don't know. Sexual consent means both parties understanding each other's intentions and both people obviously giving each other permission and having a swell time while doing so. In order to increase this awareness, some third level institutions have introduced sexual consent workshop at the campus, including Dublin City University. Over the next eight weeks DCU will be running these classes which focus on impairing students and making them aware of what sexual consent is. The classes will also teach students how to recognise sexual assault and how to deal with it. There are hopes that these classes will be turned into an academic module similar to those in campuses across the UK and the US. The model is called the Intervention Initiative which was devised by the University of West England. We have about 32 people attending now. They have to attend every workshop in order to complete the program. The university is where it's been implemented as a compulsory part of attending university. Reported cases of sexual assaults actually decreased longitudinally by 44%. With high numbers of students of the college age group reporting to sexual assault treatment units across Ireland, the importance of sexual consent workshops is highlighted. A lot of our attendance is here in the Rotunda and in most sexual assault treatment units. The highest age group is 18 to 25 year age group which is college people. I think raising awareness and discussion around consent is hugely important for people. Here are more in DCU TV News.