The Annual Crime Report for 2012 gave a few surprising statistics. Forcible sex offenses tripled within a year, and alcohol violations skyrocketed from 170 to 320. There are a few probable reasons for these statistics. However, one puzzle left is why the school is not more supportive of providing students with more understanding of this information. The lack of transparency at AU is more alarming than the crimes.
Increase in forcible sex offenses
The dramatic tripling of reported forcible sex offenses will shock students at first, but the rise of this number could actually be a good thing.
Unfortunately, sexual assault is incredibly common on college campuses. In the U.S., one in four women have been victims of attempted or completed rape on college campuses, according to a Department of Justice report.
AU is not an exception. Two years ago Eagle reporter Lindsey Anderson took an in-depth look into sexual assault on campus, and she found that the Annual Report is not indicative of how many assaults there are each year.
The seven forcible sex assaults do not hold true meaning, but the fact that the number has risen from two to seven does.
In 2011, the Wellness Center began the Green Dot program. This program aimed to create a safe environment for victims of assault and begin a campus-wide discussion on sexual violence.
Although the increase in reports may seem like this program isn’t working, it actually shows the opposite. These offenses are happening on campus, but now students are reporting them, demonstrating that victims may be more comfortable coming forward about their attacks because of programs like Green Dot.
No one can know for sure if this is the case, but we can only hope.
Alcohol violations: 2011 was a fluke year
From 2011 to 2012, alcohol violations went up by 146.
There could be a variety of reasons for this increase. Resident assistants could have been stricter this past year with noise violations and alcohol reports than in 2011. More students may have violated the dry-campus rule in 2012. It’s possible it could be because AU is growing in size.
However, when looking at the data, it seems that the number 320 that AU hit this year is more normal than surprising. In 2010, the number of alcohol violations was 386.
When looking at the overall trend of alcohol violations, it is more likely that 2011 was just a fluke.
Lack of transparency
Every year The Eagle requests clarification on the Annual Crime Report, and every year the process is incredibly frustrating.
For one, the report is full of jargon. A student who simply wants the information from the report would have an extremely difficult time understanding the data. The only reason our reporters are able to do it is because we have someone dedicated to the task each year.
A report that is meant to inform the general public should not be so confusing to understand, especially one dealing with the issue of campus crime. Until the report becomes more clear, there will be a disconnect between the data and what students are able to understand.
Additionally, the politics surrounding obtaining the document always seem to be questionable. The worst part is that this is not the first time. Reporters have had many difficulties dealing with administration in retrieving and understanding this report throughout the years.
AU has problems with transparency; that much is obvious. However, the numbers provided in the report directly relate to, and possibly affect, our safety on campus. Students deserve to know whether they are safe on campus. There is no excuse for this information to be withheld or maybe too complex to understand. -E
edpage@theeagleonline.com
