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Campus rape


Campus sexual assault is defined as the sexual assault of a student attending an institution of higher learning, such as a college or university.

Despite the name, less than 40% of reported incidents occur on campus property. Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.

Sexual assault for higher education students occurs more frequently against women, but any gender can be victimized. All ethnicities and social classes are affected. While the rate of violent crime against higher education students aged 18–24 in the United States declined significantly from 1995 to 2002, the rates of rape and other sexual assault largely remained the same. Estimates of sexual assault, which vary based on definitions and methodology, range from 0.61% of female students sexually assaulted annually to 19–27% of college women and 6–8% of college men sexually assaulted during their time in college.

In response to charges that schools have poorly supported women who have complained of sexual assault, in 2011 Office for Civil Rights under the Obama administration used an interpretation of Title IX to issue "guidance" to universities. The so-called "Dear Colleague" letter advised academic institutions that they must make changes to how they handle sexual assault allegations, including lowering the standard of proof, setting time limits on a response to allegations, and limiting the accused's rights to cross-examine the complainant. The OCR guidance also included the threat to withdraw federal funding to schools that do not comply. Legal experts have raised concerns about risks of abuses against the accused. Following changes to disciplinary processes, dozens of lawsuits against universities have been filed by men alleging bias and/or violations of their rights.

Research consistently shows that the majority of rape and other sexual assault survivors do not report their attacks to law enforcement. Reasons for not reporting include fear of reprisal, shame, uncertainty about whether a crime was committed, or a belief that an incident was not sufficiently serious enough to report. Although survivors of sexual violence suffer psychological consequences, they may reason that the costs of reporting—e.g., loss of privacy, humiliation, having to testify to police or at a college disciplinary hearing—outweigh any potential benefits. Women of color, women who are raped by an acquaintance or family members, and women who were using drugs or alcohol when they were assaulted are generally less likely to report the crime to police.


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