Well, I would always say the issue of rape is something to be taken very, very seriously at any university and something you should definitely continue to look into.
Overall, I would feel very safe walking almost anywhere by myself on campus. Then again, I am a male (though it IS possible for men to be sexually assaulted, even if their cases aren't taken as seriously), so I wouldn't have the same fears. The campus is the kind that doesn't directly mix with the city/town, so in that aspect its safer than, say, VCU which is right in Richmond. I'd say to not let this issue to be a major deterrant, but it's very important to talk to your daughter about safety precautions if she decides to come here.
Rape IS a problem, as it is at many university campuses, but I felt that the resources and the university were very helpful when we were talked to about them. It seems as if there is a stronger initiative to stop such crimes, but I didn't realize it was still such a problematic issue for people on that site. Of course, those are people who have directly dealt with it, so I would weigh their word strongly and not dismiss it as sensationalized hype (this is very different from suicide, which is a crime against the self than against another). The resources I've looked at over the last semester seemed pretty detailed and the supporting groups/organizations such as the all male One-in-Four are very respectable means in education and prevention. The following site is the main page of UVA's Sexual and Domestic Violence office:
http://womenscenter.virginia.edu/sdvs/
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