Although I am not proud to admit it, my undergraduate institution had at that time what was known as the “Freak List” which was published once a year and distributed among students in the center of the campus. Approximately 20-30 unfortunate female names were listed and subsequently their reputations ruined for the remainder of their college matriculation. Upon reflection, I wonder how many of those women were actually sexually assaulted and were too ashamed to report the incidents to school and local authorities.
A recently published special report by the US Department of Justice released in December 2014 reports that 80 percent of rapes and sexual assaults among students go unreported to police. This report was comprised with data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, which covered the periods from 1995-2013 and included females 18-24 years of age. Within this cohort, victims were either students enrolled in a college, university, trade or vocational school or they were non-students.
The offender in both student and non-student cases was known to the victim in 80 percent of the rape and sexual assault victimizations. Weapons were rarely used in these crimes, only about 1 in 10. About 26 percent of the student victims who did not report to the police believed the incident was a personal matter and 20 percent of them were afraid of the potential repercussions if reported.
Other chilling fact about these types of crimes is that they occurred at or near the victim’s home. Among the student victims, the perpetrator was more likely to be a friend or an acquaintance rather than an intimate partner. In both categories, student and non-student, the offender was perceived to be white in more than half of the cases and an overwhelming majority of the offenders were male.
With such staggering statistics, what can be done to help alter the course of such tragedies? First, we must acknowledge that these crimes exist and affect probably every college campus in the US. Second, we must educate women and teens on the importance of this issue and provide adequate resources to address it. Lastly, as the community of health providers, college administrators, and family, we have to openly discuss sexual assault and rape so that these victims will feel supported and not demonized.
Although Rolling Stone magazine recently retracted a story about a freshman student being gang raped by a college fraternity at the University of Virginia, this should not distract administrators and healthcare providers from the fact that 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted. That particular story proved to be an example of poor journalism as a result of inadequate fact checking. However, many of the alleged victim’s friends have since collaborated her story of “something” happened on the night in question but the specifics are unknown.
I’m disappointed that such an article surfaced without thorough information because situations like the Rolling Stone story will simply push more women with legitimate claims of abuse to not report the incident. Too many times when these investigations begin, the character of the victim and offender weigh more than the actual facts of the case. Character assassinations do nothing but force the victim deeper into her shell making the truth less likely to be revealed.
It is not uncommon for me to uncover a past history of sexual abuse in my female patients who are exhibiting signs of mental illness such as anxiety or depression. Many of them are often shocked when I ask questions related to their sexual history. However, sexual health should be a routine part of every patient’s health history. People cannot be compartmentalized, like seasonings in a pantry. We are one body with many functioning parts and if one area is not performing well it will eventually affect the others.
Many college campuses have a proactive stance on preventing sexual abuse. For example, Washington University has a Green Dot program that brings awareness to the issue. The Green Dot program is a national bystander intervention program whose goal is to reduce violence. This program tries to get everyone to take responsibility in making their communities safe. In addition, many local agencies like the YWCA provide a 24-hour hotline (314-531-RAPE) for sexually assaulted victims.
Insuring that all of our citizens are safe is a global responsibility and is not limited to only those persons in law enforcement.
Yours in Service,
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor
SLUCare Family Medicine
yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
