SEXUAL ASSAULT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES LACK INTERVENTION FROM AUTHORITIES

Oct. 2, 2020, 9:45 PM EST

By: Tiffany Persaud

New York, NY – College-aged adults remain high risk for sexual assault, according to a RAINN report. Most victims remain afraid of contacting law enforcement considering the various reasons given for them not to.

According to a survey taken by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), over 23.1% of undergraduate female and 5.4% of undergraduate male students in the United States experience sexual assault or violence by force and incapacitation.

Campus law enforcement are given majority of the responsibility in handling the first course of action after a sexual assault or rape case is reported.

86% of sworn campus officials have authority to make an arrest outside of campus grounds
70% of campus agencies have memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with local police
72% of campus agencies have a staff member responsible for survivor assistance

Yet, many young women and men find that reporting an incident will only lead to a domino of negative consequences.

REASONS WHY SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS NOT REPORTED BY STUDENTS	NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY
BELIEVED IT WAS A PERSONAL MATTER	26%
FEAR OF REPRISAL	20%
NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO REPORT	12%
DID NOT WANT PERPETRATOR IN TROUBLE	10%
BELIEVED AUTHORITIES COULD NOT DO ANYTHING	9%
OTHER	31%

Scott Berkowitz, RAINN’s president, said levels of reporting by college students to law enforcement are lower than that of the wider community.

“In general, reporting rates are much lower when the perpetrator is someone that the victim knows. And because most campus assaults fall into that category and often grow out of social situations, the reporting rate for campus assaults is quite low.”
Berkowitz

In terms of the criminal justice system, RAINN also conclude that only a quarter of all reported rapes lead to an arrest, only a fifth lead to prosecution, and only half of those prosecutions result in felony convictions.

In a 2007 study by the U.S. Department of Justice that surveyed over seven thousand undergraduates at two universities, only 2% of sexual assault victims incapacitated by drugs or alcohol and 13% of “physically forced” victims reported the crimes.

Not all state laws view sexual violence perpetrated by women a serious offense. 1 of 33 men in America experience sexual assault as a child or an adult; But the accounts of male victims are often downplayed given the way society already view men.

The RAINN website lists numerous effects of sexual violence that survivors often experience. PTSD symptoms including- anger, anxiety, fear, self-blame, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Physicalities may include sexually-transmitted diseases; Women may also have to deliberate a possible pregnancy.

According to Her Campus, a women’s college blog, there are four practical ways to promote a “culture of consent” on your campus.

Understand what consent is and how it can be affirmed
Normalize consent with your friends and partners
Look out for each other
SHUT DOWN victim blaming

Navigating the world of sexuality in a collegiate setting may be a time of uncertainty and curiosity. So, everyone should learn how to be proactive in taking safety measures given that college is a socially hyper-active environment. But more importantly, aggressors should seek immediate counseling to prevent maltreatment of themselves and others.