Going off to college should be an exciting time for students and
their families. University and college campuses can give a sense of security
with students knowing and looking out for each other. Unfortunately, sexual
assault on college campuses is a common problem that often goes unreported. Research
has found that 50% of campus sexual assaults occur during the “Red Zone” (the
beginning period of a new school year), especially for students who are new to
campus. One in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while
in college with their highest risk of sexual assault being in the first few
months of their first and second semesters.
Why is
sexual assault on college campuses so common?
Typically, this “Red Zone” is the time where students frequent
more social gatherings. During this time, many young adults use drugs and/or
alcohol for the first time, not knowing how they will be affected. Being
intoxicated can leave a person unaware of what is happening around them, or to
them, making it difficult to consent. Campus sexual assaults often involve
drugs and alcohol as one study showed, 15% of young women experienced
incapacitated rape during their first year of college. Peer pressure can also
play a part. Students may feel pressured to participate in activities such as
drinking, using drugs, or engaging in sexual activities that may make them feel
uncomfortable. Being “talked” into an unwanted sexual activity for social
acceptance is a type of sexual coercion and does not constitute consent.
What are
colleges and universities doing to keep campuses safe?
The Campus Sexual
Violence Elimination (Campus SaVE) Act was passed in 2013 as an
amendment to the Jeanne Clery Act of
1990. While the Clery Act required greater transparency and timely
warnings from colleges and universities about crimes that are committed on
campus, including crimes of sexual violence, the Campus SaVE Act requires that,
and more. Aside from being transparent with the frequency and types of crimes,
they are also being required to:
- Maintain statistics and provide explanations of their anti-sexual
violence policies and procedures in their annual safety reports.
- Inform survivors of their rights and provide reasonable
accommodations and protective measures while on campus and provide information
on existing services both on and off campus.
- Provide campus-wide sexual violence prevention and education
programs.
- Conduct impartial disciplinary proceedings.
While we cannot prevent sexual assault (REMEMBER: the fault always
lies with the assailant/perpetrator) we can incorporate some safety measures to
prevent any possible acts of sexual violence. To learn more, check out our “Safety Planning &
Risk Reduction” page or visit the links below.
Pennsylvania
Coalition to Advance Respect
American
Psychological Association