U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to set up a task force to bring an end to sexual crimes in the military and school campuses.

Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address Wednesday, Obama cited a report that 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetime.

“Sexual assault is an affront to our basic decency and humanity. And it‘s about all of us -- the safety of those we love most: our moms, our wives, our daughters and our sons,” the president said.

The number of raped women totals 22 million, where many are victimized during their college years or in the army by men they already know. Obama said those abused are not the only one to suffer after an assault but their families, adding “communities, our whole country, is held back.”

The president called for a change of culture where young men and boys alike feel a responsibility to act upon seeing inappropriate behavior from others.

By Yoon Ha-youn and news reports (yhayoun@heraldcorp.com)