Recently, the amount of sexual assault cases taking place on college campuses is unfortunately on the rise all across America. Not only has the number of reported rape and sexual abuse cases increased in the last decade, but the number of unreported cases is suggested to have risen as well. According to CrisisConnection.com, a rape on a college campus occurs every 21 hours somewhere across the US.
Some would attribute the problem of sexual abuse cases in college is due to parents not raising their daughters to not only protect themselves, but their sons to treat girls with respect. This side of the argument believes that universities should not play a part in handling abuse cases, and that it is a more personal matter that should be handled by the court. The other side believes the university should play an active role in dealing with these incidents.
This side would conclude that the reason sexual abuse incidences are such a problem at universities is because it can be related back to the way universities are handling the cases. Everywhere from small town colleges to prestigious Ivy league schools like Harvard have been in the news because of their poor handling of sexual assault cases. Often, the backlash is due to the fact that many, including the victim, believe the attackers should receive a harsher punishment from the university than they do. Colleges are also getting in trouble with the law because of the poor reporting of rape cases by trying to shove them under the rug instead of dealing with the issues head on.
And these issues are definitely becoming more apparent at universities. Campus Safety Magazine reports that, “Between 20 and 25% of women will experience a completed or attempted rape during their college career.”
As of May 2014, the US Department of Education’s office for Civil Rights released a list of 55 colleges and university that are under review by federal law for not following the Title XI law. Title XI is an education amendment passed in the 1972 that states no discrimination on the basis of gender in educational programs that receive federal funds. This law has grown and shaped to include sexual assault cases and how the universities are supposed to address them. Especially with the case of Kelly v. Yale University which was the first case to deal with student on student assault on campus. It was because of this case that Title IV grew to include that the university is responsible for responding to the student’s allegations of assaults.
That list of those colleges under review for sexual assault cases has grown from 55 to 95 and is expected to continue to grow. Even Ivy leagues such as Harvard, Dartmouth, and Princeton made the list. Local Colorado schools such as CU Boulder and Denver University are also listed and under review.
Multiple universities have been in the news recently for either covering up sexual abuse cases or not handling them properly. The case becomes hard to take to trial because campus disciplinary programs aren’t set up like a court of law. The other problem is, a lot of times, it’s one person’s word against another. Furthermore, most victims who are assaulted feel the need to keep quiet and not report the crime to their campus officials. Colleges also run into trouble for dishing out light punishments for the offenders when found guilty, if they’re even found guilty at all. One example was CU Boulder in 2007, where a rape case was settled by finding the attacker guilty and dishing out nothing harsher than expulsion from the university. Many of theses cases end with the expulsion or suspension of the offender. The court can also fine them or even issue jail time if they find the case severe enough.
The reason so many universities hate for these cases to get out publicly is because it makes the institution look bad for not addressing the case immediately or properly. Since sexual assault cases are so hard to sort out and have many issues surrounding them, most universities are putting their resources and efforts toward prevention of sexual assault.
One of those issues that can arise after a case is settled is that either the victim or the attacker goes back and sues the university for mishandling the case- whether they believe they were wrong accused or unfairly dealt with. One such occurrence happened in 2014 when an anonymous offender dubbed ‘John Doe’ came back and sued CU Boulder for wrongfully convicting him of a sexual misconduct charge. The attacker had been suspended from the university, but came back with a lawsuit and ended up walking away with $15 million.
Numerous sexual abuse cases occur at parties or other social gatherings where alcohol is involved. In fact, according to Crisis Connection, 90% of sexual assault cases involve intoxication of one or both parties. Majority of rape cases are committed by college age males, and it is most common for females age 18-30 to be sexually assaulted.
Colleges such as CSU and CU Boulder are taking more precautions now to protect students against sexual assault on campus. An increase in police on campus is one approach universities are taking. Also, instilling a Safe Walk program where students can have a police officer escort them back to their living quarters late at night is also common at most colleges. Other protection and prevention techniques can include things such as SANE ( Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), a rape kit available on campus along with on campus nurses and institutions that students can go to. Both CSU and CU Boulder are in the process of installing more SANE kits and expanding their resources so students have more options and people to confide in. SANE kits were created in 2011 and can be used to properly identify and aid in the prosecution of the sexual assault offenders.
The most important thing to remember is to take advantage of the safety programs colleges offer, and to always remain around friends and people you trust. Staying away from alcohol and drugs and knowing how to protect yourself is also important when it comes to safety on a college campus. If you are assaulted, report the crime immediately to your campus police department and remember that NO means no.
Overall, while the number of assault cases at colleges campuses are on the rise, many are taking precautions to further help to prevent these cases from occurring. Especially with the amount of news coverage universities are getting, it’s important for many that they handle these cases seriously and don’t cast them aside.
