The Obama administration released a report yesterday describing sexual violence on college campuses as an epidemic and describes protocols to combating the problem.
The 38-page report says that 1 in 5 women, a staggering 22 million, have been raped in their lifetime. Men are at a much lower risk, with 1 in 71 being the victims of a sex crime, but are the overwhelming perpetrators at 98%. The report identifies female college students as being “particularly vulnerable” victims of assault and says it will focus efforts on college campuses, where a study shows that only 12% of rape cases are reported to law enforcement.
“Sexual assault and rape are traditionally one of the most underreported crimes, not just in the department of education, but nationwide,” said Office Mike Samp, the Chief of Police at University of Wyoming Police Department. “Under the uniform crime report, I’ve seen it as low as only 1 out of 10 incidents are reported to law enforcement.”
Megan Selheim, the STOP Violence Program Coordinator, said there is tendency to blame the victim of sexual assault or not believe his or her story. The reaction of the person a survivor confides in is critical.
“The fear of being disbelieved or experiencing disbelief is a huge barrier to people reporting through more official channels,” Selheim said.
Bonnie Zare, Associate Professor at UW’s Gender and Women’s Studies Program, pointed to the myth that many women who report being raped are lying in an attempt to attack whomever she is accusing. The presidential report cited a study that found 2-10% of rape accusations are false and only 12% of incidents are followed up with a report or arrest; all of which discourages victims from reporting their experiences to law enforcement.
“This myth is particularly damaging because survivors may not report owing to a fear of not being believed,” Zare said.
In data presented on the U.S. Department of Education in the Campus Safety Security Data Analysis, there were five cases of forcible sexual offenses on campus and four cases in student housing at UW in 2012 (UWPD said their numbers for 2013 were not ready at the time of interview).
Erin Rumsey, the Clinical Coordinator in Emergency Department and SANE Coordinator at Ivinson Memorial Hospital, said her department administered 25 rape kits in 2013; she thought approximately 50% of these were not reported. Rumsey believes the long process and “re-victimizing” that goes along with reporting a rape is a critical reason many cases go unreported to law enforcement.
“Victims don’t like to be in the spotlight after a traumatic event,” Rumsey said.
Rumsey said when an exam is administered after a sexual assault incident, the patient decides whether to turn the evidence over to law enforcement. In every case, the evidence is handed over anonymously in case the victim decides to change his or her mind. She said evidence generally can be obtained up to 96 hours after the incident.
The report puts emphasis on improving law enforcement efforts, describing current police departments as “inadequate.” Police bias towards sex crimes and a lack of training has led to a low arrest rate, perpetuating what the report calls “a broad cycle of violence.” The report says officers have a tendency to believe victims are lying and prosecutors are reluctant to pursue prosecution without DNA evidence. Officer Samp said the university and the police department are up to date on such standards and that the exams offered at Ivinson have the best available technology for analyzing DNA.
“We are making every effort possible not just to educate, but to make it easier for survivors to have appropriate resources at their disposal,” Samp said.
Most perpetrators know their victims in cases of sexual assault and particularly in the case of college campuses, are serial offenders. The report says 7% of college males have committed or attempted rape and 63% of those have admitted to committing multiple offenses. These serial offenders averaged six rapes each.
The report says the culture on college campus plays a large role as many survivors of sexual assault are victims of “incapacitated assault,” or assaulted while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Perpetrators often supply victims with intoxicants with the goal engaging in a sexual act.
“In a lot of those cases the person who’s been assaulted will wake up or come to and realize something terrible has happened to them but they don’t know what, or who did it and not having that information, those people are often thinking they don’t have anything to report,” Selheim said.
Selheim, who has been the program coordinator since May and worked in advocacy for five years, said there are resources available for people do not have enough information to file an official report. She says one of the benefits of reporting is being able to connect victims with resources.
“There’s a lot of things we can do for someone that aren’t contingent on being able to identify a perpetrator,” Selheim said.
The STOP Program, an advocacy group for survivors of sexual violence, hosts events to educate and enlighten UW students. Selheim said one of the most common questions she receives is “how drunk is too drunk?” According to Selheim, if one is even asking him or herself that question, it is too drunk.
“Don’t assume they’re on board, assume you don’t have their consent,” she said.
Victim blame or self-guilt can result from feeling one’s irresponsible behavior is the reason he or she was raped, Selheim said, but for most people, it is not true. While offenders take advantage of circumstances and are connected to the incident, the blame for the incident lies solely on the perpetrator.
“What causes sexual assault is a rapist,” she said. “Remove the perpetrator from the equation and there is no sexual assault.”
Dr. Zare said that while most of her students no longer believe rape is largely committed by strangers, many think what a victims wears or where he or she goes at the time of the incident determines whether or not someone will be a victim.
“No woman is asking to have a crime committed upon her, no matter what she is wearing,” Zare said. “Women have been raped in all kinds of clothing including full-scale hijabs which cover the entire body except the eyes.”
For traditional college age students who are becoming sexually active, many for the first time, Selheim said there is a sense that consent is confusing.
“[People think] it’s a maze, or something like that, but consent is not confusing,” she said. “If you’re not sure you have their consent, it’s a crime.”
Universities receiving federal funds, including UW, are already held accountable to report crime statistics, put prevention policies in place and ensure victims’ rights under Title IX. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Title IX standards in schools and requires schools to develop plans for educating students and employees about sexual assault, instituting policing for responding to allegations, training for school officials who respond to complaints and enforcing policies that ensure survivors access to resources. The Department of Justice, according to the report, have a number of resources for initiating litigation that force schools to respond to and address sexual assaults.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was updated in March last year to amend the Clery Act, mandating schools to develop new initiatives. Officer Samp said the act requires UW to update policies and education protocols. The 1 is 2 Many Campaign also focuses on teens and young adults also raises awareness through a number of means on campuses.
Megan Selheim believes the Obama Adminstration’s focus on sexual violence is a product of it’s progressive leanings. The traditional view of gender roles, Selheim said, is a large contributor to sexual violence and believes the philosophy of this Administration looks beyond those barriers.
“The Administration is willing to look at what we actually need to be doing to make a difference in the issue,” she said.
