Midterm--Web News Story

Headline: College Women are at Greater Risk for Rape


Women in college are a a greater risk for rape and other sexual assault than women in the general public, according to a study released today by the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

College campuses have become "hot spots" for criminal activity, including rape and other forms of sexual assault.

The Hidden Facts:
The study states that women at a college that has 10,000 female students could experience more than 35o rapes a year.

According to the study, three percent of women surveyed have experienced a completed or attempted rape during a college year.

About 1.7 percent of female college students were victims of attempted rape, the same percentage of women that reported being forced to have sex. About 13 percent of college women have been stalked since the beginning of the school year.

Almost 60 percent of rapes that took place on campus happened in the victim's residence. Other incidents took place in bars, dance clubs, nightclubs, and work settings.

For completed and attempted rates, the study states that nine in 10 offenders were known to the victim.

The Common Faces of the Offender:
"Most victims knew the person who sexually victimized them," the authors of the study wrote.

"Most often, a boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend acquaintance, or coworker sexually victimized the women."

The study states that college professors were not identified as committing any rapes or sexual coercions, but were cited as the offender in a low percentage of unwanted sexual contact cases.

What This Means for Colleges and Universities:
For every 1,000 women attending universities or colleges, there is expected to be 35 incidents of rape.

The study suggests that mid-size campuses of 10,000 women could be expected to exceed 350 rapes during an academic year.

While the actual number of cases may be high, the number of known cases is essentially lower. Researchers found that many women do not admit their case of sexual victimization for various reasons.

Embarrassment, not understanding the legal definition of rape, or not wanting to define someone they know who victimized them as a rapist may prevent women from admitted their case to others. The study also suggests that women may blame themselves for their sexual assault.

The survey urges universities and colleges to increase education and knowledge about sexual assault.

The Survey
The study results are based on a telephone survey of a national sample of 4,446 made of women attending a two- or four-year college or university. Schools with at least 1,000 students were included.

Questions asked in the survey screen and other details regarding the research is found on the National Institute of Justice Web site.

The study was federally funded and conducted by Bonnie S. Fisher, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, Francis T. Cullen and Michael G. Turner.