College rape victims say their attacks are often ignored or minimized, according to a new study reported by CNN:
One in five college women will be raped, or experience an attempted rape, before graduation. Less than 5 percent will report these crimes to officials on or off campus, and, when they do, there’s a good chance the system will let them down.
A handful of former students who spoke out and reported rapes at their schools told CNN they didn’t feel protected by their universities. They were initially interviewed as part of an investigative series by the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based nonprofit that says it seeks to make institutions more transparent and accountable.
The women welcomed the chance to share their experiences and offer advice to students today.
“I was too young, still in too much shock and too emotionally gone to make decisions on my own,” said a woman who, as a freshman, reported a rape in 2001. “I needed an adult I trusted. The school did not provide such a person.”
Schools are aware it’s a problem, a big problem. … They’re just not dealing with this issue head-on.
–Kristen Lombardi, Center for Public IntegrityThe shocking statistics of rape and attempted rape on campus came to light in a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice nine years ago. But the recently released series published by the Washington center shows that while federal law requires schools to act on sexual assault allegations and look out for the rights of victims, many higher-education institutions aren’t making the grade.
“Schools are aware it’s a problem, a big problem,” said Kristen Lombardi, the center’s lead reporter for Sexual Assault on Campus: A Frustrating Search for Justice. She pointed to a “culture of silence” and said critics say, “The biggest sin is one of omission. They’re just not dealing with this issue head-on in a public manner with their student bodies.”
The story has so far gathered 250 comments, several of which point out that men, too, are raped on campus and also need support and advice.
College and universities don’t like the bad publicity that comes with this sort of crime. The schools will do everything imaginable to keep these stories from reaching the light of day. I know: I retired from a university.
Thanks for weighing on on this. I addressed some of the issues of women’s campus safety in my book as well, and I found this out through my own research.
This post rings true.
When I was at Loyola, I had the wonderful experience of running away from 2 men who tried to shove me into their car. A girl in my circle of friends narrowly avoided rape in the street because someone responded to her loud cries for help. I remember a freshman girl in my dorm was date-raped and the college newspaper cast doubt on her testimony because she was “drinking”.
Fruzsina, what a terrifying experience for you. The issue of female students’ vulnerability, especially those who now commonly binge drink, is a real problem, certainly when it comes to safeguarding their sexuality, which I mention in my latest post as well.
Every woman needs to stay as lucid and aware of her surroundings as possible, no matter how uncool that may look to others.