College Campus and Sexual Assault- Why So Many Go Unreported

Why has there been so much debate and discussion surrounding Sexual Assault on College Campuses throughout the United States?

College Campus and Sexual Assault- Why So Many Go Unreported

I will tell you why. The Colleges and Universities sit in a "Catch 22" position which nobody wants to admit or discuss. So let me share some information with you, and hopefully if this MY TAKE will only reach one person, then I will feel that I did my due diligence.

Sexual Assault, What Is It? Unwelcomed and Unwanted Sexual Acts through Force, Coercion, and/or Controlled Substance. Let me List three of the most critical MYTHS about Sexual Assault:

Myth #1- Sexual Assault committed mainly by strangers and criminals who go around jumping out of bushes.

Myth #2- Sexual Assault is a Sex Act and the person who commits it just wants sexual gratification

Myth # 3- It is Not Sexual Assault if it is a person you know, trust, or love.

College Campus and Sexual Assault- Why So Many Go Unreported

I believe one of the main problems is how rape is defined. Rape/Sexual Assaults are the most unreported crimes. Approximately 63% go unreported. This is a crime where 4 of 5 victims know their assailant. On a college campus, the problem is getting the true numbers to be reported. A student has to be in an environment in which they feel safe to report. This means that the school has to make reporting acceptable. This is an idea we would all like to think happens. As a parent we trust the Universities with our young impressionable adults as they are off on their own mostly for the first time in their lives.

However, here is the problem. More transparency by the University means more recorded victims of such crimes. Then what happens? The College has a "hurt reputation" due to numbers of sexual assaults reported. The what happens? Loss of Reputation means loss of enrollment, which means in turn loss of revenue. So it appears the easiest thing for Colleges has been in the past to turn a blind eye. Or turn the victim into the perpetrator. More people have said the following:

Colleges are Good at Victim Blaming

In August of 2016 a Colorado Student who Raped a Helpless Freshman got No Prison

Federal Research on Sexual Violence on Campus is a Mess

Universities bury it, hide it, and plain and simple, don't want it!

• To make colleges accountable for finding solutions, the White House has called on them to conduct anonymous "climate surveys" to determine how many students have been victimized; Congress is considering making the surveys mandatory and the results public. Rutgers is working with the administration to pilot such a survey. And Koenick is guardedly optimistic that all the new efforts will pay off. "For the first time in 45 years" of doing this work, she says, it seems that real change is possible.

College Campus and Sexual Assault- Why So Many Go Unreported

When Annie E. Clark, 26, a graduate of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, sought help from the school after a 2007 assault, she says she was asked, "What could you have done differently in that situation?" Clark, who didn't know who her assailant was and didn't pursue adjudication, doesn't think the comment was ill-intentioned. "It goes to a lack of training," she says. Clark has garnered national attention by filing a Title IX complaint against the university with several other women in 2013 and by assisting students on other campuses through the organization she co-founded, End Rape on Campus.

A recent survey went out to 780,000 college students regarding sexual assault. 150,000 responded from 27 of the most prominent universities. 26% of female seniors said they had experienced it at some point during their 4 years at their University. For many years now the typical research numbers of 1 in 5 have stood strong when asked how many are actually assaulted on campus? In 2007 the Department of Justice did a Study to find that number. Is it accurate? How can it be totally accurate when recent studies have shown that 95% of these acts go unreported for various reasons.

What can you do that is most important? BE INFORMED

BASIC SAFETY GUIDELINES

Know your alcohol limits: Over half of sexual assaults committed against college students involve alcohol, according to researchers at Wayne State University. Intoxication can make you significantly more vulnerable to assaults by impairing your judgment or inhibiting your physical ability to fight off an attacker. Binge drinkers are at a particularly high-risk of suffering incapacitation, blackout or unconsciousness.
Watch your drinks: Take your drink to the restroom with you. Never drink a beverage that has been given to you by someone else or taken from a communal alcohol source (like a punch bowl).
Trust your gut: If you get a bad feeling about a location or a person, leave immediately. We often subconsciously process body language and other danger indicators without realizing it. If something feels very wrong or you feel pursued, head in the direction of the nearest crowd, lighted area or building. Start talking loudly on your phone. Many attackers are unwilling to pursue victims who are aggressive or loud, which draws attention to the crime.
Stick with your friends: Attend social gatherings with a group of friends that you trust. Look out for each other and help each other arrive home safely. If you do go out alone, always tell someone where you are going and avoid walking in unlit or low traffic parts of town or campus.

AFTER AN ASSAULT: IMMEDIATE STEPS

Get to a safe place: Get away from your assailant to a location where you can call for help. Ideally, find a secure place where you aren’t alone. This can include a campus health center, or the home of a nearby friend or family member.
Contact the authorities: Call 911 to report the incident right away. Provide the dispatcher with the time, place, and description of your assailant. Wait for the police to arrive so that they can collect your statement.
Get medical attention: Even if you do not feel like you need to, seek medical attention at a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic or a hospital as soon as possible. Doctors can help collect vital evidence and treat your injuries directly after an assault. These are some of the specialized care options to ask for:
Advocacy: RAINN suggests calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline to request hospital referrals and check for the availability of an emergency advocate, who can help you through the medical examination.
Sexual Assault Nurse / Forensic Examiner (SANE or SAFE): These professionals are trained to conduct victim examinations, document injuries, and collect DNA evidence that can prove useful in identifying an assailant. Potential evidence includes hair, skin, and bodily fluid samples.
Emergency Contraception: Victims can prevent the risk of pregnancy by taking Plan B up to 120 hours after an attack.
STD Testing: Get screened for possible infections that can be transmitted during unwanted sexual contact. Changing the College's Response to Accusations

WHERE TO GO?

Your University will have at least one of the following:

CARE ADVOCATE

WOMENS CENTER

CAMPUS POLICE

COUNSELING SERVICES

Never be Afraid to Speak Your Voice. Report such Acts, and encourage others to do so too! This is the only Way to Break The Current "Campus Culture" when it comes to Sexual Assault.

College Campus and Sexual Assault- Why So Many Go Unreported

College Campus and Sexual Assault- Why So Many Go Unreported
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