The State College Police Department recently announced that the number of sexual assaults off campus has gone down in the past year.

However, it's a number that must be taken with a strong grain of salt.

It's the number of reported sexual assaults that is down. While the statistic certainly looks and sounds like a step in the right direction for the borough and the women who live here, we need to remain viligant and not disregard the continuing danger of sexual assault.

It's no secret that many -- although it is impossible to tell just how many -- sexual assaults go unreported.

So while those numbers might give some of us a sense of relief, what we might get from them is a false sense of hope and security.

Women -- and men -- can still be, and still are being, sexually assaulted here frequently, whether they call the police or not.

And that's a problem that can only be fixed by more and more women coming out and talking about their experiences. Only then can this incredibly important issue be covered correctly and completely by the media and fully addressed by law enforcement.

Cases go unreported for a number of reasons. But those individuals who may not be reporting an incident, for whatever reason, should not be afraid.

If you feel as though you have been sexually assaulted, talk to someone, whether that someone is a police officer, a counselor, a medical professional or just a friend.

There are many resources on campus and in the community that can help.

Whether we realize it or not, most of us probably know multiple people who have experienced sexual assault.

And whether the number actually has gone down, or whether women just are not reporting the crimes, the case is still the same.

Sexual assault can -- and will -- unfortunately continue to happen.

Women need to continue being brave and reporting those assaults so that maybe one less assault will happen.

Maybe one more victim will be inspired to tell her story, giving a voice to the often-voiceless women who suffer an unspoken, unimaginable amount.

It is nice to hear that cases of rape and sexual assault being handled by police are going down.

But we will never know with total certainty whether it's a true step in the right direction until time it includes all sexual assaults that occur -- when sexual assaults and rapes are all reported, all prosecuted, and all people who carry out this most tragic of all crimes are locked away.