Statistics released by University Police yesterday show reported sexual offenses on the campus have nearly tripled since 2004, and appear to be at the highest level of reporting in several years.
The crime statistics, which the university is required to report to the U.S. Department of Education under federal law each year, indicate a trend that the University Health Center has already seen over the past several years – more women than ever are willing to seek help for sexual assault since the creation of the victim advocate office in 2002.
Victim Advocate Cortney Fisher said the numbers, which show reported sexual offenses increased from 10 in 2004 to 33 in 2005, are just a portion of the work her office did last school year. Between July of last year and this May, Fisher said her office served 70 people seeking help for rape and nine for gang rape.
But because the crime of rape is notoriously underreported, especially on college campuses where rape occurs between acquaintances, the number reflects only a small part of the rapes that likely occur on the campus. Police statistics also exclude most rapes reported to Fisher that occur off-campus, because federal law only requires crimes on university property or in homes where university-recognized groups live, such as Greek organization housing, to be reported.
The victim advocate office is now preparing for what could be one of the most active semesters since it opened – the office has steadily served more women each semester – with the next few weeks likely to be the busiest. Last year, September was by far the busiest time of the year, reports issued by the office show.
“It’s not the month, it’s the time of year,” Fisher said, noting that whenever students socialize most often, such as at the start of the fall semester, the office tends to see more people seeking help. “You’d probably see numbers spike during homecoming, and home football and basketball games.”
Fisher attributes the success of her office to the promise of confidentiality offered, and that victims seeking assistance will not have their crime reported without their permission. Police intervention is always offered as an option, Fisher said, but is not often taken.
When the office began its work, it was funded by a grant that Vice President of Student Affairs Linda Clement said was aimed at increasing rape reports to police.
“There was some hope that it would result in more prosecutions,” Clement said of the grant. “The idea was if people got support and encouragement that they might be more apt to step forward and involve the justice system. More people have stepped forward because it’s commonly known that this is where you can get help.”
But prosecutions did not result from the office, Clement said, and the university had to seek funding elsewhere. As recently as last school year, a dedicated source of funding for the office was still not available, and Student Government Association leaders were considering taking money out of student fees for the group.
That changed this year with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. Two new victim advocate positions and five peer advocates were added to the office this fall, which Fisher said was steadily serving more clientele as more students found out about the office.
In addition to support provided for victims of sexual assault, the office also assists students affected by harassment, stalking and relationship violence.
The crimes can be particularly traumatic for victims on a college campus, Fisher said, because of the close-knit nature of social networks here.
“Our clients are raped by people they trust,” Fisher said, typically either someone they know or someone from a previous relationship, she added.
National research shows rape on college campuses occurs most often in situations where drinking is taking place. A 2004 study published by the Harvard School of Public Health found about 1 in 20 college women were raped during their time on campus, and “72 percent … occurred when victims were so intoxicated that they were unable to consent,” researchers wrote.
“Certain women are at increased risk of being raped while intoxicated, particularly those who attend colleges with higher levels of heavy episodic drinking and who belong to or live in sororities,” the study continued.
Fisher cautioned, however, against placing blame on alcohol consumption as a cause of rape.
“Alcohol doesn’t cause violent crime,” she said. “There may be a correlation, but that’s more along the line of inhibitions.”
Perpetrators may choose to commit a crime while drinking or when intoxicated because their inhibitions may be lower, she added.
To address what could be a learning curve about the notion of consent in sexual situations, health center coordinator Pat Johnston said university officials obtained a grant of more than $250,000 this year from the Department of Education for a sexual assault program targeted toward men only. The program, titled “Terp Men Making a Difference Working to Eliminate Sexual Violence,” will cover a full-time coordinator and partially fund a victim advocate position.
University officials could face an uphill battle in addressing what appears to be a far more widespread crime than the victim advocate’s number suggest. According to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment conducted on this campus last school year, 1.2 percent of all campus students have been victims of sexual assault.
Applied to the more than 35,000 students attending this university last year, sexual assault victims here could number as high as 420.
Contact reporter Sharhan D. Boykin at boykindbk@gmail.com.
