[Editor's note: 'Law & Order: SVU' has never been a show to shy away from touchy subjects. In the Nov. 17 episode, 'Gray,' Detectives Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) meet a young woman who claims to have been the victim of date rape by her classmate. The case becomes muddled when its revealed that the two had been drinking and partying the night of the alleged rape.

The women of 'Law & Order: SVU' -- Mariska Hargitay, Christine Lahti (ADA Sonya Paxton) and Allison Siko (Kathleen Stabler) -- spoke out about rape, the staggering statistics and what needs to be done about these crimes. Without further ado, Mariska Hargitay ...]

This episode is one that is very close to my heart. Given that rape is the most common violent crime on campuses, it is likely that someone you know and love was a victim of sexual violence during college. Its true for me -- people I care deeply about were raped in college. So many of the letters I receive from fans are from women who were raped in college. In fact, we know that one out of four female students will be sexually assaulted before she graduates.