<p>I’ve seen this 1 in 5 number and thought it seemed high…certainly hoped it was high. If we really thought that every 5th girl entering college was going to be raped, I think it would be the rare parent who would send their daughter away to college.
The way this article explains the poll used for this statistic, many things could have counted as a sexual assault. Certainly no assault is ok, but if the definition ranges from basically an unwanted advance to rape, certainly there is a big difference in our gut response, and the level to which we feel there is danger.</p>
<p>I was feeling better about the high numbers being reported after reading this, then I read the comments, and many were saying they felt the 1/5 was accurate based on their experience…for rape! I can’t imagine parents being willing to sent their daughter into a situation where they really feel they have a 20% chance of being raped, but I also can’t imagine that statistic to be true.
I understand that any number is too many, but numbers like 1/5 make it seem less avoidable, where smaller numbers would allow you to feel more in control of your own level of risk. (Some risk everywhere…more in certain situations, so avoid those situations).</p>
<p>Note that the same article has this about a different survey:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That still seems to be a significant risk, much of which is in the context of being incapacitated (presumably drunk or drugged, possibly involuntarily).</p>
<p>I believe it. And I’d bet 90%+ involve alcohol. Product of the binge drinking hookup culture implicitly promoted by universities around the country.</p>
<p>Before we go off on this very stupid tangent once again, hook up culture as some new phenomenon is a myth. I’d hash out why again but it really gets quite tedious. </p>
<p>OP, the numbers are for assaults and not rape. They’re likely pretty accurate though given multiple different studies. The vast majority of assaults are committed by someone you know and by a small percent of repeat offenders. The numbers are really not random. </p>
<p>Yes, that too. “Rape” is a subset of “sexual assault”, but there are “sexual assaults” that are not “rape”.</p>
<p>But the 11.5% for actual rape (in a different study) is still disconcerting, though the fact that most of these involve incapacitation (presumably through alcohol or other drugs) means that some avoidance measures are obvious.</p>
<p>Yes, the poll was assaults, which can cover a variety of things. That fact made me feel better about the numbers, but then the people posting comments (I think the comments were more on the fb link where I found the article) people were saying their experience led them to believe that number seemed right (or even low) for rape (not assault).<br>
My feeling is that the other study, noted on this thread, with the lower number, skewed to those who had been drinking, seems more plausible, but I never had the traditional college experience, so the more frightening reports sometimes make me wonder if I just have a very naive perception of what ‘normal’ is in college. </p>
<p>Can someone please define assault now because on another thread someone cited ass-grabbing which if we are counting that that is quite a relief. But, I can’t figure out why anyone would be counting those things. </p>
<p>Legally, sexual assault is defined by the DOJ as…
Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.</p>
<p>If all “unwanted advances” and “ass-grabbing” are being counted in the assault numbers - I would expect the reports to be >90% of women. </p>
<p>The 1 in 5 proportion is very consistent with studies of sexual assault in all kinds of settings. And while clearly there is a much smaller percentage of women being “raped” by a masked stranger hiding behind the bushes, it is entirely plausible to me that a sizable minority of college women have experienced serious sexual assault (more than a date who gets a little hand-sy).</p>
<p>I agree, @marie1234, some of the things I have heard referred to as assault, are things that I might think of more as an advance…maybe not an appropriate one, but something that might be more due to not reading cues right, or going a bit too far…before being told to stop. Some things seem to be a fine line, and fairly subjective, but once someone is told ‘no’, if they physically continue, that becomes frightening (meaning both parties no longer have equal control), and in my mind, is an assault. </p>
<p>I have a D in college, so this is a subject which garners our family’s attention and concern.</p>
<p>That having been said, people should look at the methodology used in the study. The methodology used assured the result of a “shockingly” high number. Perhaps one of the resident statistical analysts could delve into that aspect.</p>
<p>As I read one study’s methodology, a representative sample of two large schools were selected randomly; emails were sent asking for volunteers to complete the questionnaire (it was expected that the survey would take about 15 minutes to complete); the students were told the name of the study (which revealed the topic); over the ensuing months repeated emails were sent to the chosen population who had not yet responded until the time allocated to participate ran out; results were then adjusted so as to reflect the randomized representative population. Roughly 43% of the original group competed the questionnaire and the results were based upon this number. I did not see that the numbers were adjusted to reflect possible bias in choosing to respond in the first place (in other words, were women who were assaulted more likely to respond to a survey on sexual assault then women who had not been assaulted). To me that number may need to be addressed - somehow.</p>
<p>I do not have any unique knowledge on how to set up surveys like this, interpret results, or even critique such work. While we need to learn the prevalence of assaults, and help survivors, and need to start somewhere, these studies methods need to be understood so that the results can be interpreted in context.</p>
<p>There is also the question of what the question was, and how the answer was interpreted. at least someof these studies, the woman was not allowed to define her own experience.</p>
<p>For example, by some definitions, a female cannot consent to sex if she has been drinking.</p>
<p>Therefore, if a female says that yes, she has had sex while she was intoxicated, that will be listed as a sexual assault or rape. The woman may not view it in that light at all.
Personally, after endless threads and discussions on this topic, I have come to the conclusion that 1 in 5 is far too high, but that there are still too many.</p>
<p>i do not expect that is overstating. Many assaults are never reported.
Risk is a part of life.
You prepare as much as you can, but don’t let it hold you back from something you really want to do.
And if some thing bad does happen, you still don’t let it stop you. You get help dealing with it,and you get back to your life.
Of course being raped or sexually assaulted can be so traumatic that you can’t process what happened until years or even decades later.
<a href=“Show this graphic to anyone who says rape isn't a real issue in America - Vox”>Show this graphic to anyone who says rape isn't a real issue in America - Vox;