Rape: It Happens

Back to college means back to class, back to friends, back to fun, back to parties. It is an exciting and anxious time for many college students. There are so many different things for them to do and explore, and many different friends to make and old friends to meet back up with again. However, back to college isn't fun for everyone. During the first few months of school, college women experience the highest rate of rape than in any months. In fact, most rapes on college campuses occur in August, September, October or November.

The statistics regarding rapes on college campuses are daunting. One in four women on college campuses has experienced some form of sexual assault or rape. The number of women who experience sexual assault in the 18-24 age range is actually at least three times that of the national average, especially for college women. In eight out of ten cases, the perpetrator knew the victim. The victim was not attacked by a random stranger under a blue light, but by an acquaintance or someone she considered an intimate partner.

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Unfortunately, only 20% of female victims ever report their assailant to anyone. The reasons are varied, but may include the victim worries no one will believe her or that she will somehow be blamed for what happened. Maybe she even convinced herself that her perpetrator loved her or cared about her, and he didn't mean it. Maybe he told her it would never happen again. Close to 90% of college rape victims never report the incident to anyone.

To protect themselves against sexual assault, women are encouraged to not go to parties alone, monitor situations where they are drinking, and meet "first dates" in public places. However, when the person is someone the victim has known a long time, preventing the crime may be more difficult...particularly in the case of intimate partner violence.

Young women should be encouraged that no matter the situation to report the incident to someone, a trusted friend, a resident assistant, housing staff, campus personnel or even campus security, or to call 911 for help.

Sources:
RAINN: Campus Sexual Violence Statistics. Found online at: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence
National Sexual Violence Resource Center: Get Statistics. Found online at: https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
Office on Women's Health. womenshealth.gov. Sexual Assault on College Campuses. Found online at: https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/sexual-assault-and-rape/college-sexual-assault