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The study’s findings are striking. Despite recent strides
made by colleges and universities, the researchers found significant
flaws in colleges’ reporting, prevention, and adjudication
procedures where rape and sexual assault are concerned. Only 37
percent of American institutions of higher education report sexual
crime statistics in full compliance with federal law. Less than
half of all IHEs provide new students with acquaintance rape prevention
and sexual assault awareness programming. Only a quarter of all
schools use an investigative stage to collect evidence once a report
is made, and only one third use due process procedures for the accused.
Researchers used multiple data collection methods to gather data
on nine different issues from a national sample of 2,438 IHEs, including
mail surveys of campus administrators, content analysis of published
sexual assault policies, and field research at schools whose sexual
assault policies were identified as “promising” by set
criteria.
This research is significant because it provides much-needed baseline
data about colleges’ efforts to prevent and respond to sexual
assault. The final report also offers examples of promising practices
used by some schools to counteract rape on campus, or to support
victims and hold offenders accountable when sexual assault occurs.
Dr. Heather Karjane, the study’s principal investigator, says,
“Colleges can now know where they place among their peer institutions,
and they have information on emerging promising practices.”
The report has garnered widespread interest from the higher education
community. "This study will be a tremendous asset in improving
how those of us working in campus violence prevention and victim
services respond to the epidemic of sexual assault in our campus
communities,” notes S. Daniel Carter, Senior Vice President
of Security On Campus, Inc.
“The information in this report brings data into the field
which, until now, has rested primarily on anecdotes," says
Sheldon Steinbach, vice president and general counsel of the American
Council on Education.
One immediate hope for this research is that it fosters open discussion
among higher education administrators and encourages them to take
a pro-active stance on sexual assault prevention. Dr. Karjane explains,
“There is a widespread misperception among college administrators
that reported rates of the crime accurately reflect how often the
crime is attempted or committed, and that is simply not true.”
Underreporting by victims remains one of the most significant challenges
facing campus and law enforcement authorities. “To facilitate
the reporting process, campus administrators need to openly acknowledge
that sexual assault occurs within the student population; it is
not typically the result of a stranger-rapist breaking into an otherwise
safe campus community,” says Dr. Karjane. “Administrators
need to design their education, prevention, and response policies
with this reality in mind.”
Among the promising practices identified through the study is the
use of behavioral illustrations to teach students the definitions
sexual assault and rape. Students still need to understand that
sexual assault is something that can happen between acquaintances,
between friends, between dating partners. Promising programs also
are more likely to target males for prevention, offer wide-reaching
education programs that start with orientation and continue throughout
the school year, use peer educators, and integrate messages about
sexual assault into broader education about risk reduction (particularly
the relationship between drinking and sexual assault).
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