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Delaney Mountford
Mr. DePauw
AP English
May 4, 2015
A 21st Century Epidemic: Campus Sexual Assaults
In September of 2014, Emma Sulkowicz, a senior at Columbia University, made national
headlines after she began to carry her mattress with her all around campus. She had decided to
make the demonstration a part of her senior thesis, which was titled Carry that Weight. Carry
that Weight was her way of protesting how her rapist had walked away from his crime with no
consequences whatsoever. The news story sparked a conversation across the country, revealing
just how common sexual assault is on college campuses, and the inappropriate way that so many
university administrations are handling them. Sulkowicz is one of thousands of young students
who have faced sexual assault while being away at school, and her decision to protest Columbia
Universitys handling of the situation has empowered sexual assault victims across the country to
come forward and tell their story.
Although Sulkowiczs protest did influence some women to accuse their attackers, this
movement is something that began prior to Carry that Weight and all of its outcomes. The
reported number of sexual assaults on college campuses in 2013 was more than twice the amount
of what was reported five years before. The statistics related to this problem are staggering: 1 in
5 women will be sexually assaulted while in college, but fewer than 5% of these attacks will be
reported to law enforcement officials (Fisher, Cullen and Turner 18). Overall, campus sexual
assault crimes are rarely reported, but at the same time, there are more cases being reported than
ever before. More women are reporting campus sexual assault crimes because more information

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about this crime is being provided to college students than ever before, and because the
worldwide spread of female empowerment has encouraged women to seek out justice. However,
the statistic regarding how less than 5% of these crimes are reported has remained the same
because the victims are afraid of their school handling the case inappropriately or because their
offender was one of their acquaintances.
Knowing exactly what these types of crimes entail is vital to fully understanding sexual
assault crimes as a whole. In most cases, women do not report being sexually assaulted because
they havent realized that they have been taken advantage of. Fewer than 5% of these attacks are
reported because college students across the country have not yet gained a universal definition of
the phrase sexual assault. As defined by the U.S. Department of Justice, sexual assault is any
type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.
Many people often get confused about the difference between sexual assault and rape. Sexual
assault does not always mean rape, but rape is a form of sexual assault. Often, neither the victim
nor the attacker knows that a crime is being committed when they are involved in a sexual
assault. In the last few years, however, strong efforts have been made to provide young adults
with as much information regarding sexual crimes as possible in order for proper legal action to
be taken when necessary. This information can come in all forms, ranging from sexual crime
experts that speak on campus to published information that is provided for no charge at
university health facilities.
Although the statistics for these crimes are encompassed by the phrase sexual assault,
the frequency of rape still needs to be accounted for. In a report funded by the U.S. Department
of Justice, it was found that 16.6% of college women were the victims of completed rape, and
11% were recovering from an attempted rape (Fisher, Cullen and Turner 16). When these two

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percentages are added together, the statistical chance of a woman getting raped or suffering from
attempted rape while in college are higher than the one for sexual assault. However, victims of
college rape rarely identify what has happened to them as rape, which is another contributing
factor as to why so few of these assaults get reported.
In a recent National Crime Victimization Survey or NCVS, female respondents were
asked a series of questions related to a sexual assault that they had suffered. If their stories fit the
way that NCVS defined completed rape, then they were asked if they personally would classify
their experience as rape. Shockingly, 48.8% answered no. 46.5% answered yes, and 4.7% said
that they didnt know (Fisher, Cullen and Turner 15). This statistic clearly reveals how so many
people dont understand the variety of circumstances in which rape can happen. It shows that
even stronger measures need be taken to train college students to gain a complete understanding
of this type of crime. Too often, sexual assault survivors dont classify their experience as a type
of crime because they view words like rape and assault with such an extreme connotation and
they refuse to believe that they are the victims of such disturbing crimes.
Unfortunately, even after teaching students what it means to be sexually attacked, the
lines become blurred once again when drugs or alcohol are involved in the crime. These
substances are known to affect different people in different ways, often making men more
aggressive and women more likely to agree to things that they would not have said yes to
otherwise. On average, alcohol is involved in 50% of sexual assault crimes that take place on
college campuses (Abbey 119). In one study, in 97% of the sexual assault crimes where alcohol
was involved, both the victim and the perpetrator had been under the influence (Abbey 119).
Some experts note that many college men often perceive women who drink in bars as being
sexually promiscuous, and, therefore, appropriate targets for sexual aggression (Abbey 121).

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This theory suggests that alcohol-related sexual assault crimes can sometimes be the result of the
way that the man identifies the woman that he is having relations with. Regardless of the
atmosphere in which a man first meets a woman, there are absolutely no excuses when it comes
to any form of sexual violence. However, because men and women are scrutinized in completely
different ways, many people accept this to be a valid point. The different standards for men and
woman is just one of the many things that has kept this problem around for so long. Although
many milestones have been made in the area of womens rights, there is still a preconceived
notion that some women have a higher worth than others based on the way that they dress or
carry themselves. This is a belief that needs to be ended completely in order to stop sexual
assault on college campuses once and for all.
Another very difficult thing about sexual assault cases is that they tend to be timesensitive, which is yet another reason that so many people end up feeling unable to report them.
Usually, by the time that a survivor decides that she wants to talk to either her school or law
enforcement officials about what she has experienced, the offenders trial is less likely to work
out in the victims favor. This is because there is certain evidence that typically needs to be
obtained immediately after a sexual assault. Fortunately, many organizations, such as Project
Callisto, are currently working on a mobile app that will allow students to record all of the details
of a sexual crime without actually filing an official report. Project Callisto, although still in
progress, would allow students to record all of the details of an incident that would be necessary
to filing a sexual assault report. Once completed, the details are time stamped. So, should the
victim ever choose to come forward against her attacker, she would have all of the evidence from
the experience right at her fingertips. Inventions such as these are slowly transforming the way

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that these cases are being handled, which can be comforting to sexual assault survivors as they
try to decide whether or not to report their attacker.
Recently, there have been sparks of outrage over the way that some schools have been
handling punishments for the perpetrators of these crimes. Inappropriate consequences for such
assaults have ranged from expulsion after graduation to writing papers, all of which have left
victims of these crimes feeling as though their situations are not being taken seriously. However,
the schools that usually face the harshest criticism for their handling of these crimes typically
have something in common: athletics. It has been nationally recognized that student athletes
often manage to escape consequences more frequently than a typical student. When a star athlete
is backed up by their school administration, the colleges reputation tends to take precedence
over the closure that a victim of sexual assault needs.
United Educators, a company which provides liability insurance to colleges recently
released a sexual assault study that, among other things, analyzed the involvement of athletes in
these types of crimes. Using cases from 104 different colleges and universities, United Educators
found that out of 92% female victims, 99% of the accused offenders were men, and that 15% of
those accused men were athletes (United Educators). Despite that so many people believe that a
culture of accepted aggression leads athletes to be the leading offenders in sexual assault cases,
this statistic reveals that to be a misjudgment. However, the study did show that athletes are more
likely to gang rape, as athletes were accused in 40% of multiple-perpetrator attacks (United
Educators). This statistic, however, might be misconstruing because victims of gang rape are
usually much more likely to report that they have been attacked than victims of singleperpetrator assaults.

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Although the numbers for how many women are sexually assaulted in college is
staggering, most people dont realize that most of the victims arent attacked by a dangerous
stranger, but rather by one of their friends. Nearly 90% of these sexual assault victims report
being attacked by an acquaintance (United Educators), which is one of the primary reasons why
sexual assault crimes need to start being taken even more seriously. If this problem doesnt
become eradicated, there will always be blurred lines when it comes to friendship between men
and women. It is important to note the correlation between how many of these crimes get
reported, which is incredibly low, and how often the victim knows their attacker, which is
drastically high. People are less likely to report their offenders if they feel like it will damage
friendships, and further complicate any normalcy that might have existed in their lives prior to
being assaulted.
Failure to act accordingly on these types of crimes has extremely negative impacts in the
long run. Survivors of these attacks usually suffer from a large range of both physical and mental
health complications. One study of women in North Carolina found that those who had been
sexually assaulted were more likely to smoke, have high cholesterol levels, and suffer from
obesity (The White House Council on Women and Girls 12 ). Another study analyzed victims of
violent sexual assaults that involved alcohol and found that over half of the survivors had
developed lifetime Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (The White House Council on Women and
Girls 12). There are dozens of consequences that can arise from being sexually attacked, and a
lack of closure on a case can contribute to the seriousness of such problems. Female victims are
more likely to develop an eating disorder, which can be seen in a study that targeted
undergraduate females specifically, where the women in the study were found seven times more
likely to vomit or abuse laxatives lose weight than the non-victims (The White House Council on

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Women and Girls 13). Because sexual crimes take such an emotional toll on their victims, many
students find it too difficult to handle the stress of school while trying to recover from a sexual
assault, and therefor, they often leave school not long after their incidence.
Another problem facing the victims of sexual assault on college campuses is the
economic cost of being attacked. Its something that people dont usually associate with this
problem, but it is still a major issue that survivors often face. Dozens of research teams have
tried to come up with a precise monetary amount that can account for the costs of a rape. Among
other things, rape victims have a decreased quality of life and often cannot work for extended
periods of time after they have been attacked because they almost always suffer from some form
of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which makes it very difficult for victims to be around other
people. There are also significant payments for law enforcement resources that a victim needs to
pay should they choose press charges against the offender. Although it is nearly impossible to
gain a completely accurate amount, research studies consistently estimate that each rape ranges
between 87,000 and 240,776 dollars. Although this number seems steep, the money can be
distributed in a variety of different ways. For example, 31% of rape victims seek medical
treatment for things such as broken bones or stitches (The White House Council on Women and
Girls 15). So, hospital bills for people with or without health insurance are also averaged into the
amount. Additionally, the cost of therapy is something that is added into this when considering
that the majority of rape and sexual assault victims seek some form of rehabilitation to help them
come to terms with what has happened to them. Sometimes, victims who report their offender do
so because they want some sort of compensation for their situation. Even if it means paying
significant amounts for a lawyer, there are far greater costs that are associated with these types of
crimes.

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Although rape and sexual assault survivors face any number of long-term consequences,
one of the most serious ones that victims of sexual assault face is being infected with an STD, or
contracting HIV. Over half of the women living with HIV in the United States have been raped,
assaulted, or stalked by an intimate partner (The White House Council on Women and Girls 28).
However, this does not necessarily suggest that the rapists are the ones who are always passing it
on to their victims. Because survivors of these attacks usually develop mental illnesses, they can
often be driven to drug abuse and there are several dangerous drugs that have been linked to HIV
because they are injected with unsterile needles. Depression alone is also a powerful illness, and
it can enable survivors of sexual assault to go out and do things that might be out of character.
One example of this would be having multiple sexual partners after the attack because they think
it will make them feel better. Directly and indirectly, sexual violence against women is one of the
key reasons why there is such a strong correlation in the United States between sexual violence
and being HIV positive.
Although the problem of sexual assault is riddled with many grim statistics, that isnt
stopping campuses across the country from trying to eradicate it. Universities want to inform
students about this delicate topic, so that each person can feel supported. The University of
Delaware recently created an online portal that serves a hub for gender-violence based
discussion. The portal also provides a list of the schools sexual assault related policies and a
comprehensive list of resources for victims of these crimes. The University of Kansas is in the
midst of organizing a training program for incoming freshmen on the topic of sex crimes. This
program will teach students exactly what sexual assault means, and it will also disclose the
necessary measures that should be taken in order to prevent such assaults from happening. Some
schools, such as Boston University, have even started training local bar owners on student sexual

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assault, and how to identify situations that may be leading to one. Because this problem has been
affecting universities all across the map, schools are looking for multiple ways to eliminate it.
This means that they have to scrutinize it from various perspectives in the hopes of keeping their
students safe.
Knox College, located in Illinois, is a primary example of a school that is currently going
above and beyond to show just how seriously they take sexual violence on their campus. Not
only has a sexual safety mobile application already been offered to their students, but they also
have started a bystander intervention-training program and a confidential support group for
sexual attack survivors. All of these excellent programs have been brought to the school after
thorough analysis of campus-wide surveys that teach the administration about the inevitable
truths of sexual assault at universities nationwide. Taking campus surveys is a relatively accurate
way to gain information regarding these types of crimes because they are usually anonymous.
Because no one is identified, victims often feel safer coming forward in order to help the school
gain access to precise statistics. Its important to remember, however, that reporting a sexual
assault in an anonymous survey and reporting one to law enforcement officials are two very
different things. Because the victims are not identified, when they provide their information to a
survey, it does not count as a reported incident.
This epidemic has developed so rapidly that awareness for it quickly spread beyond just
college campuses, and the U.S. government has intervened in a number of ways to prevent any
more injustice for the survivors of sexual assault. Title XI of the Education Amendments of 1972
is a law that prohibits any form of sexual discrimination in any education program. This law
encompasses any type of sexual assault on college campuses, and has become a major tool for
students looking to report their attackers to school administrations. This law applies to crimes

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committed by students, staff, or faculty members because in order to be held responsible, the
harasser must be someone that the school has control over. If a college or university that receives
federal funding fails to report any type of student sexual assault, they may be held legally
responsible in court. If the victim of the sexual assault can prove that the school acted with
deliberate indifference to their crime, the school has to pay damages to the student.
Students who report these types of crimes often dont realize that their school actually
does have a responsibility to begin some sort of investigation if sexual assault is suspected. This
law goes further than if a victim comes forward to tell their story. It applies to any sort of
suspicion regarding sexual crimes. For example, if someone comes forward and tells the school
that they know their friend has been sexually assaulted, the school is legally required to look into
the claims and see if there is any validity behind the accusations. Very few people are aware that
Title XI encompasses sexual assault laws, so schools are beginning to teach students about the
law as part of their freshmen orientation. This way, victims will always be aware of their schools
responsibilities if ever they should be put in the situation.
Although the problem of sexual assault on college campuses appears to be grave and
unsettling, there are good things that have come from the fact that more people are reporting the
incidences. The conversations that are occurring at colleges across the country are teaching
students how to be prepared for what seems to be an inevitable problem. Five years ago, the
number of reported incidences was half what it was now because there was no information for
survivors of sexual assault to go off of. This new available information is teaching people to put
a label on sexual crimes and what evidence is typically needed in order to make a case.
Sexual assault on college campuses is not something that will be going away without lots
of time and work. In recent years, it has spiraled out of control and colleges are currently trying

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to get everything back on track. However, thanks to huge amounts of information being recently
supplied to students everywhere, and because female empowerment has recently trended, half of
the problem has almost been resolved. More women than ever are coming forward to bravely
talk about what has happened to them. When women feel that other women support them, they
are more likely to confidently talk about things that they might usually keep to themselves.
However, still only less than 5% of these crimes are reported to law enforcement officials, which
means that universities still have their work cut out for them. College administrations need to
appropriately handle every single sexual assault case that they deal with, regardless of who is
being accused. Whether the offender is a high-profile athlete or a fraternity member, each report
needs to be taken seriously in order to gain the trust of victims everywhere. Too often in the past,
survivors have admitted that they would rather carry the burden of their experience and suffer in
silence than face the scrutiny of their peers if they were to accuse someone with a higher
popularity rank or standing.
The solutions to these problems are long overdue and seemingly obvious. Women
shouldnt regret coming forward to tell school officials of a traumatic incident that they have
experienced. They shouldnt have to watch the person who sexually assaulted them walk away
from the crime with no consequences whatsoever. All it takes to inspire others is for one survivor
to come forward and tell their story. Schools can choose to feed off of this inspiration in one of
two ways. They can either handle the case with genuine sincerity or they can dismiss it by
lecturing the victim and hiding the facts from the public. Whichever way that a school chooses to
go can speak volumes about how much they truly care about their students.
It takes plenty of courage and bravery for a victim of campus sexual assault to be strong
enough to report her assailant. Historically, the odds are not in her favor, because schools often

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mishandle cases such as these which enable women to be mistrusting in a time when they should
be seeking out various forms of safety and guidance. All students, regardless of their gender, go
to college to pursue an education. Everyone is there to learn something, and this fast-spreading
problem is compromising the education of women everywhere. The facts are all there, and sexual
assault on college campuses isnt something that can be avoided for any longer. This debate
should have ended years ago. Women are doing their part by empowering other women to be
courageous and tell their story. Now, its time for universities to adjust their policies and their
mindsets so that they can make all students feel as if their safety and well-being is a priority, and
not a burden.

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Works Cited
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<http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-1/43-51.htm>.
Clark, Meredith. Campus Sexual Assault: A Campus-by-Campus Report Card. 26 August 2014.
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Rocheleau, Matt. Sexual assault reports climb at area colleges. 6 October 2014. Boston Globe

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