From Under the Sheets to Under the Rug: the Underreporting of Sexual Crimes on Campus

Sexual Assault and Rape Statistics

·         In Virginia, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men have been a victim of sexual assault

·         In Virginia, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced intimate partner violence

·         Every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted

·         College women are four times more likely to be victimized

              Each year, thousands of students apply to Virginia Commonwealth University in the hopes of having a diverse, fun and safe college career. Many of those who are accepted aren’t as safe as they think. Like on any college campus, the presence of drugs, alcohol and other negative elements can influence students’ behaviors. Sexual assaults are the most common, yet underreported behaviors on campus.

            According to the “Sexual Victimization of College Women” study done by the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in any given academic year, for every 1,000 women attending a college or university, there are about 35 incidents of rape. With over 30,000 students at VCU, that suggests there are almost 2,000 incidents of rape per year.

            So why does a 2009 VCU Crime Report only show six reported forcible sex offenses on the Monroe Park Campus and three at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV)?        

This possible inaccuracy isn’t surprising, because according to the National Center for Policy Analysis, sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with 60 percent still being left unreported. What’s causing that lack of reporting?

            Jennifer Walters, president of Sexual Assault and dating Violence Education by Students (SAVES), thinks the fear of being judged keeps victimized students from reporting incidents.

            “Our society is very victim blaming,” said Walters. “Students are probably afraid due to stigmas surrounding rape and sexual assault.”

            Others attribute low reporting to the Clery Act of 1986. It requires colleges and universities to report data, particularly about crimes, annually. Some feel that since colleges and universities want students to attend and feel safe, they may skew some of the results to attract parents and students.

            Location could serve as another factor. The crime reports only show statistics for crimes reported on campus, including housing. Many apartments and houses considered off-campus housing on the Monroe Park campus are closer to VCU buildings than those considered on-campus. Therefore students victim to sexual assaults committed “off-campus” have no statistical representation.       

Still, lack of reporting by students is considered the largest reason why sexual assaults on campus are underreported.

            Shalise Bates-Pratt, VCU Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coordinator, doesn’t think students know who or where to turn to once they’ve been a victim of sexual assault.

            “Students usually go to friends or mentors first, instead of reporting to Police,” said Bates-Pratt. “And it’s hard to find sexual assault and domestic violence services at colleges, so victims sometimes don’t know what services, if any, are out there.”

            Like Walters, she also finds society at fault for why students don’t report sexual offenses.

            “Self blame is huge with survivors of sexual violence,” said Bates-Pratt. “We need to think of it not as the victim’s fault and stop judging victims to make us feel safe.”

            “Sexual Victimization of College Women” gives many reasons as to why students don’t feel safe reporting: not wanting family or friends to know,  having lack of proof that it happened, fearing hostile treatment,  not knowing how to report it, not thinking it was serious enough to report, and fearing a possible reprisal by the assailant.

            Despite so many things keeping students from reporting sexual crimes, it is advised that students who are victimized immediately report their situations to police and get proper treatment.

The VCU Police Department wants students who have been sexually assaulted to immediately call VCU Campus Police. After doing paper work, Shalise Bates-Pratt will provide counseling, and the student will be examined by a sexual assault nurse.

Students unwilling to file official police reports can file third-party reports through Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Services or other offices in the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services. Although anonymous cases can’t be investigated for prosecution, they alert police to the incident.

Sarah Rodriguez, VCU Mass Communications Senior, has advice for young women after learning from her experience with sexual assault.

“No matter what a guy says, you’re pretty much at his mercy if he decides he wants to rape you,” says Rodriguez. “So pay attention to your situation and don’t give him an opportunity to do it.”

To lessen the number of sexual assaults, the VCU Police Department even offers a self-defense program. The Rape Aggression Defense Systems (RAD) classes and counseling sessions provide information and hands-on training in hopes to protect students from being sexually violated.

Other on-campus services concerning sexual assault include University Counseling, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Services and the Wellness Resource Center.

It’s important that students victim to sexual assault feel safe enough to go through official procedures right after their incidents. The problem of underreporting won’t continue to rise, if everyone does whatever they can to report instances of sexual assault in a timely and fair manner.

Other Related Links:

“Many Schools Underreport Sexual Assaults”

http://www.capitalnews.vcu.edu/2010/05/many-say-schools-underreport-sexual-assaults.html

VCU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

http://www.vcu.edu/police/campussafetyreport2010.pdf

“Sexual Victimization of College Women”

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf

Campus Resources

·         The Wellness Resource Center (Sexual & Domestic Violence Services) 804-828-2085

·         University Counseling Services: Monroe Park Campus 804-828-8828,  MCV Campus 804-643-0888

·         VCU Men Against Violence (MAV) 804-828-4015, MAViolence@gmail.com

·         SAVES Peer Education Group, SAVES@vcu.edu

Off Campus Resources

·         VA Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-838-8233

·         YWCA of Richmond Hotline, 804-643-0888, www.ywcarichmond.org