Posted on 04/30/2006 6:55:07 PM PDT by NCjim
Federal research finds majority of sexual assaults go unreported
The rape case involving Duke University lacrosse players is casting light on an oft-hidden problem: Thousands of sexual assaults on college campuses go unreported each year.
Over the course of a college career, roughly one in five young women experiences a rape or an attempted rape, a federal study has found.
But in a crime where victims and assailants almost always know one another, assaults are rarely reported. Fewer than 5 percent of campus rapes are reported to police, according to a survey of more than 4,000 college women conducted for the Department of Justice and released in 2000.
Universities themselves could do far more to combat the problem, experts say.
They see an opportunity for something good to result from the Duke case: Students may report more attacks, and colleges may step up efforts to educate and protect students.
At the same time, some fear the crime could be shoved further into the shadows, given the intense scrutiny the accuser is confronting.
In some ways, experts say, college campuses are breeding grounds for sexual assault. Young men and women with newfound freedom live in close quarters with a growing level of sexual interest, and they're often drinking lots of alcohol.
"It's one of the few places in society where you bring together young men and young women with very little supervision and in circumstances where a rape could take place," said Frank Cullen, a criminal justice professor at the University of Cincinnati, who has researched sexual assaults on campuses.
Unlike other crime victims, rape survivors often find it profoundly difficult to report what has happened.
In "Saturday Night," a Duke campus magazine devoted to the stories of students who've suffered sexual assaults, one woman wrote about why she couldn't tell her parents.
"I want to tell my parents so maybe they can understand why Duke has been so hard for me. Maybe they will get why my grades aren't perfect," she wrote. " ... But I don't know how they would react. I feel like I've already let them down, and this could just kill them. It has almost killed me."
Emotions like those help explain why so few report the crimes. In a U.S. Justice Department survey, college rape survivors talked about why they chose to remain silent. Among the most common reasons: They didn't think it was serious enough; they didn't want others to know; they feared reprisal.
In a statement Friday, Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong said he has recently received letters from two former Duke students who said they were sexually assaulted by other students but chose not to report it because the public scorn they would receive outweighed any benefit.
When assaults occurred, the Justice study found, half of the women did not define it as a rape. That was especially true with date rapes in which no weapon was used and alcohol was consumed. It can be particularly hard for victims to go to the police when they know their assailants -- which is usually the case. Roughly nine of every 10 college victims knew the offenders, the study found.
"Your typical sexual assault is not Bubba jumping out of the bushes," said Michael G. Turner, an associate professor of criminal justice at UNC Charlotte who has studied campus sexual assaults.
Under a 1990 law, the federal government requires schools to detail information about crimes in and around campuses.
For academic years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04, the number of reported rapes at N.C. colleges and universities ranged from zero at some colleges to 26 at Duke, where more than 12,000 students are enrolled. Higher-than-average crime numbers often indicate a good reporting system. But even Duke's total dramatically understates the problem, experts believe.
At UNCC, where the student population approaches 20,000, two sexual assaults were reported over the three years. Turner says he thinks there are that many in the first week of school.
"I suspect several hundred occur at a university in a given year," he said. "I think this is drastically, drastically underreported."
College response
Universities haven't done all they can to address the problem, experts say.Only about a third of schools report crime data in a way that fully complies with federal laws, researchers found. Schools often find it difficult to interpret reporting requirements, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' watchdog agency.
Just one in four schools provide safety training to residence hall staff, hire security staff for dorms, or require overnight guests to register, federal researchers found.
Some schools provide incoming freshmen a few minutes of education regarding sexual assault. Experts believe more education would help.
Bonnie Fisher, a criminal justice professor at the University of Cincinnati who has studied the problem, says many universities have taken steps to address rapes by strangers.
They've required access cards to get into dorms, for instance, and have provided services to escort students across campus at night. But she says colleges have paid too little attention to preventing the much larger problem of acquaintance rape.
"Yeah, you're swiping your card to get into the dorm," Fisher said. "But are you taking the perpetrator in there with you at the same time?"
Awareness
Many hope the Duke case will lead to fewer rapes and better reporting.
Cullen, the other Cincinnati professor, said the case should show some would-be offenders that "there are no free rides anymore. ... When people report, it's not always the case that prosecutors won't believe the victim."
Experts also hope the case will prompt more parents to talk to their college-bound children about the potential dangers.
Donna Lisker, director of Duke's Women's Center, said the office has seen a spike in the number of victims seeking help. The psychologist on staff has been booked for weeks, and some of the counseling work has fallen on other staffers.
"My hope about this whole horrible mess is that it can bring some attention to acquaintance rape," Lisker said. "The truth is there are victims of sexual violence on every campus all the time, and they don't get this kind of attention."
Have they done a study on how many college students are strippers?
Maybe the government should spend more effort locking up true thugs than teaching girls that all college guys are potential rapists.
Somebody can't do math.
"Thousands of sexual assaults on college campuses go unreported each year."
versus.
"Over the course of a college career, roughly one in five young women experiences a rape or an attempted rape, a federal study has found."
By the way, one in five is 20%. If the rate is really that high, we may as well just shut down the democracy and call it a day... All the men will be in jail.
Ah, here is why:
"When assaults occurred, the Justice study found, half of the women did not define it as a rape. That was especially true with date rapes in which no weapon was used and alcohol was consumed."
In other words - they are asking:
1) Did you have sex.
2) Were you drunk when you had sex.
And then defining 'drunk' as being unable to consent.
"In some ways, experts say, college campuses are breeding grounds for sexual assault. Young men and women with newfound freedom live in close quarters with a growing level of sexual interest, and they're often drinking lots of alcohol."
In other words, the kids are drunk and uninhibited. Hmmm.
Hardly grounds for crying 'rape'.
"For academic years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04, the number of reported rapes at N.C. colleges and universities ranged from zero at some colleges to 26 at Duke, where more than 12,000 students are enrolled. Higher-than-average crime numbers often indicate a good reporting system. But even Duke's total dramatically understates the problem, experts believe."
Hmmm. Reported rapes total 0 to 26. That's nowhere near 20%.
Highest number is DUKE at 26. They claim a 5% report factor. That means DUKE would have 520. DUKE has 12,000 students, assume 1/2 women (a bit low) so 6,000. So 520 into 6,000 is 9%.
That's not even close to their 20% claim either.
You can't rape the willing.
"At UNCC, where the student population approaches 20,000, two sexual assaults were reported over the three years. Turner says he thinks there are that many in the first week of school."
2 reports in a 10,000 population = 0.02% rate. To get to 20%, they need to report 2,000. So the reporting rate is 0.1% (if you believe their bogus numbers.)
"Bonnie Fisher, a criminal justice professor at the University of Cincinnati who has studied the problem, says many universities have taken steps to address rapes by strangers.
They've required access cards to get into dorms, for instance, and have provided services to escort students across campus at night. But she says colleges have paid too little attention to preventing the much larger problem of acquaintance rape.
"Yeah, you're swiping your card to get into the dorm," Fisher said. "But are you taking the perpetrator in there with you at the same time?" "
Well, I must say this is a novel way to try to get the kids to behave. Call it rape.
If a young lady invites you in to her dorm room at x am in the morning. What do you think is on her mind?
A) She is going to hold a knitting session with you?
B) Perhaps canasta lessons?
C) She's setting you up for crying rape?
(nope, cause she ain't going to tell.)
"Many hope the Duke case will lead to fewer rapes and better reporting."
At least it should teach young men not to bring women of bad repute back to the house.
Re: Bonnie Fisher, criminal justice professor U. Cincinnati
http://christianparty.net/bonniefisher.htm
To quote:
"Bonnie Fisher: Domestic Terrorist
"College campuses host large concentrations of young women who are at greater risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women in the general population or in a comparable age group. Based on their findings, Bonnie Fisher and her colleagues estimate that the women at a college that has 10,000 female students could experience more than 350 rapes a year— a finding with serious policy implications for college administrators.
"Fisher also found that many women do not characterize their sexual victimizations as a crime for a number of reasons (such as embarrassment, not clearly understanding the legal definition of rape, or not wanting to define someone they know who victimized them as a rapist) or because they blame themselves for their sexual assault. The study reinforces the importance of many organizations’ efforts to improve education and knowledge about sexual assault."
CYNICAL HYPOTHESIS
This completely absurd, unfounded, untested, and cynical hypothesis makes Bonnie Fisher a domestic terrorist who's far more dangerous to the American public than Osama Bin Ladin, even IF he's guilty as charged."
Don't confuse 20% of the women being raped with 20% of the men doing the raping.
A very small number of men are rapists.
One busy lady: 32 pages worth of resume. I guess we know where some of the Violence against Women money is going.
http://www.uc.edu/criminaljustice/FacultyVita/bsf2March02.pdf
"Don't confuse 20% of the women being raped with 20% of the men doing the raping.
A very small number of men are rapists."
Balderdash.
Read the article again. They are claiming that 90% of these are aquaintance rapes. That makes it close to 1 to 1.
One hard statistic in all the "it is believed" "I think"
under patriarchy all sex is rape because in conditions of male domination it is senseless to talk about consent - Catherine McKinnon
"One hard statistic in all the "it is believed" "I think""
Yes, that is that hard statistic in the article.
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