One of several omissions in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address last week was the lack of commentary on his recent efforts to raise awareness on the sexual assault epidemic affecting college campuses across the nation. It is a glaring omission because on Jan. 22, President Obama signed a memorandum creating a task force to renew pressure on universities to better prevent and police sexual assaults on their campus.
The next day, the White House Council on Women and Girls released a deeply concerning report titled, “Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action.” The startling statistics will shock everyone: 22 million females have been raped in their lifetime, 1.6 million males have been raped in their lifetime, and 1 in 5 females have been sexually assaulted while in college.
Now let’s take it to the sphere of this campus. According to the demographics of The University of Alabama, there are 34,852 students enrolled as of fall 2013 with approximately 55 percent being female. So there are 19,168 female students, and if the 1 in 5 females has been sexually assaulted statistic is true, about 3,833 female students at the University have been sexually assaulted – that is 3,833 too many assaults.
Based on the UA Police Department Crime Statistics for 2012, there were 13 reported incidents of forcible sex offenses on campus or in resident halls. That leaves us with the extremely difficult thought of trying to estimate just how many incidents of forcible sex offenses have gone unreported, occurred off-campus or a combination of the two. Using the estimate of 3,833 sexual assaults on females, which could be incorrect, there could be more or less than 3,820 occurrences of sexual assault that have gone unreported.
Furthermore, these sexual assaults are usually committed by serial assailants with most victims knowing their assailants. One study found that of the men who admitted to committing rape or attempted rape (7 percent of college men), some 63 percent said they committed an average of six rapes each. The impact of these rapes on a person are physical, psychological and economical. They often suffer from a wide range of physical and mental health problems that can linger for life and are more likely to commit suicide. The economic cost of rape is staggering, as several studies estimate the range from $87,000 to $240,776 per rape in medical and victim services, loss of productivity and several other costs.
Everyone has to do their part in stemming the tide of sexual assault and start addressing the simple fact that rape is a crime and illegal. For men, President Obama challenges us to be better: “Men have to take more responsibility. Men have to intervene. The measure of manhood is the willingness to speak up and speak out, and begin to change the culture.”
Still, I encourage everyone to think of ways, whether through student organizations, events or personal changes, to raise awareness of the sexual assault epidemic and do their part, whatever that may be.
Patrick Crowley is a junior majoring in mathematics, finance and economics. His column runs weekly on Monday.
