CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Student leaders at Southern Illinois University formed a new task force aiming to prevent incidents of sexual assault and street violence.

The student task force was announced Tuesday in response to a seven-day period in which eight SIU students were arrested in three separate incidents, including two sexual assault cases and one fight. It follows the national “It’s On Us” initiative that encourages college students to recognize their rights and responsibilities not only on campus, but also in the community, The Southern Illinoisan (http://bit.ly/1tZr3Ly ) reported.