The majority of students who are victims of sexual assault at AU do not report it, according to JoAnna Smith, director of Women's Initiative.
Smith pointed to the most recent version of the Annual Security Report provided by the AU Department of Public Safety, which shows only one case of a forcible sex offense on the main campus in 2005. Public Safety defines a "forcible sex offense" as a sexual assault against another person's will or when the person cannot consent because of temporary or permanent handicaps.
Smith said she doubted this figure, saying that roughly 70 percent of cases are not reported.
"I know that this is inaccurate," she said. "I think our campus is not doing enough to encourage people to report these incidences."
As possible reasons for the underreporting of sexual assault cases, Smith said there are few campus advocates and a complex university judicial system.
Joyce Tam, a second-year master's student in the School of International Service, said embarrassment is a factor as well.
"It's a very sensitive subject among both genders," Tam said.
In its report for 2002-2004, the DC Rape Crisis Center cited a statistic from the U.S. Department of Justice stating that 98 percent of sexual assault survivors in the United States never see their assailant imprisoned.
The sexual assault rate among college-aged students in the District has also risen. The DC Rape Crisis Center's report found that in 2004, 14.7 percent of 18- to 24-year-old District residents reported a sexual assault, a 7.9 percent increase from 2002.
Smith said alcohol and drugs are to blame for many of the incidents that occur among young people. Under D.C. law, sex with an intoxicated person is not considered consensual. This raises the issue of "date rape," especially when one or more persons are under the influence of a substance.
The DC Rape Crisis Center's report cited a survey from the Women's Action Coalition that found that approximately 51 to 60 percent of college-aged men in the United States reported that they would rape a woman if they were sure to get away with it. One out of 12 college men surveyed had committed acts that met a legal definition of rape.
Thanh Nguyen, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said alcohol makes individuals less aware of what they are doing. He said he could see why men could find it appealing to commit such acts in conjunction with alcohol use.
"It's a way to bring her guard down," Nguyen said hypothetically. "However, it's morally wrong."
Smith said it's not only women who face such attacks.
The DC Rape Crisis Center's Web site reported that one in six men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime and 60 percent of men assaulted by other men know their attacker.
According to Smith, knowing the attacker is common among both genders. Most survivors are in a relationship or acquainted with the perpetrator.
Women's Initiative is taking actions to create awareness and lower the frequency of sexual assaults. The annual "Take Back the Night" rally and march will take place April 10 and will recognize survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, according to the event's flyer.
Public Safety also holds rape aggression defense classes. These free self-defense classes are held several times a semester and are restricted to female students, staff and faculty, according to the AU Student Government's Web site. The next available set of classes will be held Wednesdays beginning March 21. Information on signing up is available on the SG's Web site ausg.org Counseling sessions are offered to students at the Counseling Center in MGC 214.
Get the facts on sexual assault in the District
Knowing the facts and figures behind sexual abuse can help prevent it from happening. Below are some statistics about the prevalence of sexual abuse in D.C. and information about where students can go if they are victims of a sexual assault.
-In 2004, 14.7 percent of D.C. residents 18 to 24 reported they had been sexually assaulted, the highest of all age groups -77 percent of rape survivors know their attacker -57 percent of rapes occur while on dates -71 percent of rapes are planned ahead of time -At least 45 percent of rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the assault -In the District, a compensation fund will pay for rape kits, which are medical and physical exams used to implicate one's attacker, but only if the survivor is treated at Howard University Hospital. Most insurance policies cover these costs as well. -Two available hotlines in the District are 1-800-656-HOPE, or the DC Rape Crisis Center at (202)-333-RAPE.
SOURCES: DC Rape Crisis Center, Women's Initiative
