Blackstone Academy Charter School

Sexual assault on college

campuses

Are colleges handling sexual assault on

their campuses appropriately?

Haley Sousa

Senior Paper

Tasche Bryant

March 28, 2017

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 You dont know me, but youve been inside of me. These are the powerful

words an anonymous victim stated about a horrific incident that changed her life forever.

A little over a year ago at Stanford University some brave bystanders chased and tackled

a man after seeing him penetrating what appeared to be an unconscious woman behind a

dumpster outside a fraternity party. Later, it came to the public's knowledge that this

mans name is Brock Turner. He brutally sexually assaulted a young, intoxicated woman.

After appearing in court, Turner was set to serve his six month sentence in jail. This

turned out to be three months as he was let out early for good behavior. Unfortunately,

cases like Turners arent uncommon. The only difference is Brock Turner actually did

some time in jail, most abusers dont receive any punishment whatsoever. If it wasnt for

those two young men who stepped in when they saw that something was not right, there

is a great possibility that victim would have been seriously injured, maybe even killed.

Sexual assault on college campuses is a national epidemic. This type of abuse is

any sexual act that is unwanted by somebody else. These acts include: penetration with

genitals and/or objects without consent, rape, unwanted sexual acts, such as oral sex and

touching of somebodys body without their permission. This crime is all about power

and control (Sexual Assault). It is important to note a common misconception regarding

rape and sexual assault. Rape is historically defined as forced and unlawful sexual

intercourse against the victim's will. Rape is a common type of sexual assault however it

is not the only form of sexual assault. (Sexual Assault). Sexual assault on college

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campuses is a reoccurring problem and it seems as if colleges aren't doing much about it.

These crimes happen on a daily basis and is not getting the attention and awareness that it

needs.

Several statistics prove that sexaul assault is an underlooked issue by colleges and

universities. In fact, studies have shown that 1 in 4 women will face an assault during

their time in college. Three out of four of those women are either a freshman or

sophomore (Booth). According to Booth, freshmen are more likely to be victims of

sexual assault because they are the most vulnerable; they are new to the area and the

campus which makes them easy targets. An organization entitled RAINN, Rape Abuse

and Incest National Network, exercised a study comparing sexual assault to robberies.

Figure One (Sexual Assault | RAINN)

Figure one shows that out of all women, there are 5 robberies for every 4 sexual

assaults while for women in college there are 2 sexual assaults for every 1 robbery

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(Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics). When put in this perspective, it is clear to see how

broad this problem actually is. Robberies are events that occur often in our society, so

when it is put in comparison to the number of sexual assaults, it is a real eye opener. In

college, women are victims of assault more than the number of robberies that are

happening during that time period. Colleges and Universities have some rules and

regulations put into place, but is that enough?

After a sexual assault occurred, the burden is on the victim to and come forward

about the attack, which is extremely difficult to do. In fact, 95% of of sexual assault

victims dont report because fear that they will be to blame (Booth). If the victim does

decide to move forward and report the attack, the time period is 6-8 months until the

victims get the justice that they deserve, if they even get it (Edwards). During these 6-8

months before trial, the perpetrator is roaming freely around the campus. Edwards goes

on to explain how the abuser could easily be in the victim's classes and he/she will know

that they are pressing charges which increases their danger level. If the victim decides to

push through the trial, the consequences for the abuser are usually minimal. Some of

these punishments include expulsion and writing an essay (Kamenetz). If expulsion is the

result, Kamenetz explains that the victimizer is free to roam wherever they like, possibly

committing the crime again and again. The campus forgets about the case if the victim

decides not to go through with the trial, which most do not because of the difficult

process. Having a high number of sexual assaults occurring on a campus hurts the

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college's reputation. Having none reported as opposed to having a high number is

actually a poor sign because of the high frequency of this crime occurring. Brown

University holds one of the highest recorded numbers of sexually based assaults on their

campus, but despite these figures, they arent looked down upon by most activists.

Brown University

Brown University has the highest number of sexual assaults reported with 43,

according to The Post Analysis, a survey that covers over 1,300 schools (Anderson).

When most people read this statistic, they see it as a negative concept. On the other hand,

having a high number being reported is not necessarily a poor quality. Having a higher

number could in fact mean that the school is doing a favorable job of helping their

students come forward and talk about these terrible situations. So what exactly is Brown

doing to help these victims come forward?

Last year, a protest broke out at Brown University. Victims of sexual assault

wanted justice, they wanted to be heard. Brown took this into consideration and made

some serious changes. According to Jessica Katz, Brown Universitys Title IX

investigator, the first action Brown did was create a Title IX office. Katz continued by

saying how they educated students about who was a confidential person to speak with

about the traumatic experiences that they endured and who was not, she addressed how

they are transparent about their information. Along with confidentiality, Katz

explained how the Title IX office made it clear who victim's resources are and where they

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could be found. Another topic that Katz spoke about was that the University builds trust

with their students, which is extremely important. Along with all of this, Katz gave a

play-by-play of what would happen if somebody walks into their office and claims to

have been sexually assaulted.

First, the victim would file a complaint through Title IX outlining the policy which

was in violation. After a few days, the office will send the victim an email confirming

that the complaint was received. Now, it is time for the victim to choose an advisor,

which can be an attorney. After doing so, the Title IX office contacts their investigator

Jessica Katz, and she interviews the complainant who is the victim, and the respondent

who is the perpetrator, and witnesses, if any. Following the interviews, Katz determines

what is credible and writes up a report. Both parties have the option to comment and

change it and after they changes are made, Katz writes the final report. Next, the Title IX

office chooses a panel to hear the case. The panel can ask the victim and perpetrator

questions, but they are not in the room at the same time. The complainant and respondent

both have a statement and although they are not in the same room, each party earns the

right to hear the other person's statement. After hearing the statements, the panel

determines if the perpetrator is responsible. If they are found responsible some

consequences that the respondent could face include reprimanding, expulsion, suspension

and probation with or without mandatory treatment. During this process both parties have

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the right to appeal at any time. Filing a complaint through Title IX isnt the only option

students have to deal with their sexual assault.

Katz explains that Brown offers multiple programs to survivors. On campus, they

have a group called SHARE, Sexual Harassment and Assault Resources and Education,

who strictly work with situations regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment. This

group helps victims recognize sexual assault and understand the trauma that they went

through. Students can also go to the Office of Student Conduct where they can get a no

contact order. There are also some student support accommodations that include a

change in classes/schedule, a personal escort and a move of dorm hall. Victims can get

counseling and physiological support there as well.

Though these programs have been put into place to help the victim, it can also

harm them. Katz said that the process takes a minimum of 60 days. Katz also spoke about

how they try to make the 60 day process as comfortable for the victim as possible.

However, she makes it clear that this process will never be comfortable because of the

constant reminder of what happened to them. At least in the end there is a chance of

justice for the victim, but other colleges cant say the same.

College Comparison

Although Brown University is making efforts to tackle the issue of sexual assault

on college campuses, the same does not go for all schools across America. A bunch of

colleges have a Title IX Coordinator/Investigator stationed on campus. A Title IX

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personnel is someone who investigates any alleged violations of Title IX at the school.

Instead of handling all disciplinary actions, Title IX Investigators strictly handle crimes

that fall under Title IX.

Clark University has one of these investigators: Adam Keyes. Like Jessica Katz,

Keyes deals with assault allegations falling under Title IX. In 2014, Clark University

reported one case of sexaul assault on their campus (Anderson). This is quite different from

Brown, who had 43 reports. (Why is the number so low? Are they doing something differently?)

The processes are significantly different. Adam explains, The first thing we always do is

we focus on resources. Similar to Brown, Clark makes sure the victim knows where all of the

resources are and what their options are. At Clark, the process isnt as rigorous as Brown. Adam

explained different routes the survivor could follow: outside the campus resources or internal

resources. The major difference between Browns Title IX Investigator and Clarks Title IX

investigator is their gender. This has a major impact on victims decisions to proceed with the

charge because as Adam says, ..women might not be comfortable talking to a male and we have

to recognize that. Obviously, because he is a male does not make him any less of an

investigator, but there is a bias towards talking to a male about a sexual assault experience.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts also had 0 sexual assault cases reported in 2014

(Anderson). Written in their Sexual Violence Policy handbook, MCLA lists what to do if you are

sexually assaulted, the standard procedure of dont wash your clothes, dont shower and seek

medical attention right away. A few spaces below that small section, exists another list. This list

is far more long and bullet points ways to avoid being attacked and consists of steps to avoid not

getting raped. Some include: locking room and townhouse doors at all times, avoid

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walking/jogging alone, avoid hitchhiking and using alcohol responsibly. MCLA also says that if

someone were to face an attacker to scream fire instead of help.

Instead of having a list of ways to know when it is sexual assault, Massachusetts College

of Liberal Arts teaches young women how to avoid being attacked. This method is problematic

because if someone breaks one of these rules, the victim may blame themselves for it and is

less likely to come forward about her attack. Not to mention it is extremely sexist. It is also

possible that if the survivor does come forward about it, the college could refer back to this list

and tell the victim they warned them about this happening. As a result of the conversation,

survivors will blame themselves and this may end up with the process not moving forward,

which could be the reasoning behind having 0 sexual assaults reported in 2014.

Solutions

Even though Brown has the highest number of sexual assaults reported with 43, the same

survey, The Post Analysis showed that 500 out of the 1300 schools reported 0 sexal assaults on

their campus (Anderson). As discussed earlier, 1 in 4 women on college campuses are victims of

sexual assault (Anderson), therefore if almost half of the colleges reported in this survey reported

0, institutions must be doing something wrong when it comes down to reporting the numbers.

Maybe its because students arent educated on the topic of sexual assault. Francine Perry from

the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center as well as Jessica Katz discussed some solutions to

tackle the lack of action being drawn to sexual assault on college campuses by the colleges.

One solution that Perry and Katz agreed on is education. Specifically, education of what

consent means is vital. Most abusers do not even see it as a crime and openly admitted that they

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used force to have sex with a woman and see nothing wrong with that (Kamenetz). Perry

explains that consent is a lot more than just black and white, its such a grey area She goes

on to explain, for instance, that just because a couple is married or they have performed a sexual

act before does not mean it is consensual. Perry explains how if their partner did not say yes,

then it is sexual assault. Educating students on how to be effective bystanders is just as important

as teaching students how to prevent sexual assault from happening.

Jessica Katz touched on the importance of bystander intervention. She discussed a

program that they have on campus called SAPE, Sexual Assault Peer Education. It is student run,

but the student educators go through training beforehand. This program brings in the bystander

as she described, and encompasses interactive presentations. It helps students identify rape

culture and behaviors that contribute to rape culture. They go through scenarios, such as a party,

and what a student should do if they see somebody is at high risk to get sexually assaulted. More

colleges should have programs that educate people how to be an effective person in a situation

watching the events unfold. Programs like these help students understand that instead of

standing by and being uncomfortable speaking up, they should be uncomfortable about NOT

speaking up (Booth). Educating students on the definition of consent and guiding them to be

proactive in intense situations is what colleges should to do tackle sexual assault on their

campuses.

The SAPE program is similar to the Green Dot program. Green dot is a bystander

intervention training program. Colleges across the U.S are becoming Green Dot certified,

meaning that a number of individuals who work at that institution are trained to train students

about bystander intervention. One of these Green Dot certified schools is the University of

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Kentucky. A woman by the name of Ann Coker conducted a five year study at schools that are

Green Dot certified. Her studies found a 50 percent reduction in the self-reported frequency of

sexual violence perpetration by students at schools that received the Green Dot training,

compared to a slight increase at schools that did not (Hautala). This shows that students who are

exposed to this bystander training, are more likely to act when they see something wrong. This

results in less sexual assaults happening because there are more upstanders than bystanders.

Victim Blaming

There is no denying that sexual assault on college campuses is a serious problem,

however, some argue that the victim is at some fault in their attack as well. A article entitled, The

Realities of Sexual Assault on Campus, claims that women should know their alcohol limits to

make them less likely to be a victim. According to this source, intoxication can make you

significantly more vulnerable to assaults by impairing your judgment or inhibiting your physical

ability to fight off an attacker (BestCollegesCom). While this statement is true, alcohol is not to

blame for sexual assault.

Women should not have to know their limits in order to not be a victim of rape. Drunk

or not, it is not their fault. Instead of teaching the girls how to avoid an assault, colleges should

be tackling the problem of teaching guys how not to rape. Sexual assault is not just something

that is bound to happen. CNN makes a claim comparing rape to car robberies. Matthew Whitaker

states Blaming excessive drinking for sexual assault among women is like blaming someone

who left their keys in their car for the theft of their vehicle. Is leaving your keys in your car

unwise? Yes. Is it the cause of your car being stolen? No. The person who stole your car is the

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responsible one. Besides, they do not need your keys to take your car. Just because you have

your keys in the car doesnt give the right to someone to steal your car. The same goes for sexual

assault, just because someone is intoxicated doesnt mean its their fault that they are a victim of

assault. If someone is intoxicated, they cannot give consent, therefore it is rape. Sexual Assault

isnt inevitable and colleges need to stop pretending like it is.

Another argument that some claim is that with female victims, her clothes is the reason

why she was a victim of rape. Those who believe in this argument claim that if a girl is wearing a

revealing clothing, then she is asking for it. These people claim that women should watch what

they wear in order to avoid sexual assault. In 2006 a sexual assault cause appeared in front of

Judge Robert Dewar (Lubitz). When hearing this case, the Judge stated "They made their

intentions publicly known that they wanted to party...This is a different case than one where

there is no perceived invitation (Lubitz). Unfortunately, the rapist received no jail time because

the judge thought the victim was inviting him by her attire (Lubitz). Earlier this year, Teen

Vogue produced a project entitled Not Your Fault. Part of this project displays images of what

victims were wearing when they were assaulted. These pictures showed sweatshirts, sweatpants,

t-shirts and even school uniforms. Clearly, these photos arent provocative clothing at all. These

figures show anything but revealing clothing. Therefore, the argument that a woman's clothes

determines her consent is completely debunked. In fact, nobody is ever asking to be sexually

assaulted.

Sexual Assault on college campuses is a growing problem spreading across the nation.

Some colleges are stepping into action and attempted to halt this epidemic while other schools

are pretending like it doesnt exist. Instead of teaching people how to not get raped we should be

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teaching people how not to rape. In addition, we should also be teaching people that no matter

what, it is not the victim's fault, the victim is never asking for it. Sexual assault on college

campuses is a problem that will take a long time to solve but the ending must start now.

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 Works Cited

Anderson, Nick. "These Colleges Have the Most Reports of Rape."Washington Post. The

Washington Post, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

BestCollegesCom. Realities of Sexual Assault on Campus | BestColleges.com. Best Colleges,

Best Colleges, 11 Nov. 2016,

www.bestcolleges.com/resources/preventing-sexual-assault/.

Booth, Barbara. "One of the Most Dangerous Places for Women in US."CNBC. CNBC, 22 Sept.

2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Buchwald, Emilie, Pamela R. Fletcher, and Martha Roth. Transforming a Rape Culture.

Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 1993. Print.

"Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN." Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN.

RAINN, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Crocker, Lizzie. "Why the New One in Four Campus Rape Statistic Is Misleading." The Daily

Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Edwards, Stassa. "Most Colleges Don't Have Rape Kits Available on Campus." Jezebel. Jezebel,

08 Sept. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Hautala, Keith. "'Green Dot' Effective at Reducing Sexual Violence." UKNow. University of

Kentucky, 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.

Kamenetz, Anya. "The History of Campus Sexual Assault." NPR. NPR, 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 11

Oct. 2016.

Katz, Jessica. Brown Title IX Investigator . Oct. 2016.

Keyes, Adam. Clark's Title IX Deputy Coordinator . Nov. 2016.

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Lubitz, Rachel. "Here Are 9 Times Clothing Was Blamed for Sexual Assault - Rather Than the

Obvious." Mic. Mic, 27 Apr. 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.

Nehring, Abbie. "Campus Sexual Assault: What Are Colleges Doing Wrong?" Top Stories RSS.

Pro Publica, 29 July 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Papisova, Vera, and Ashley Armitage. This Is What I Was Wearing When I Was Raped.Teen

Vogue, Teen Vogue , 11 May 2016,

Perry, Francine. Sexual Assault on College Campuses. Sept. 2016.

"Sexual Assault | RAINN." Sexual Assault | RAINN. RAINN, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

"Sexual Violence Policy & Information." Sexual Violence Policy & Information. Massachusetts

College of Liberal Arts, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Whitaker, Matthew C. "Opinion: Don't Blame Women's Drinking for Rape." CNN. Cable News

Network, 06 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.

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