Sexual Assault and Rape on University Campuses

Sexual Assault and Rape on University Campuses

1 in 5 female college students are sexually assaulted before they graduate from American University
More than 95% of students sexually assaulted stay quiet (US Justice Department report conducted by State University of New York in New Paltz)
At this college of 8,000 expected 1,700 female victims during 11 years of study but actual number was 6 with only 3 cases resulting in hearings and 1 student expelled
2002 New England study in journal of Violence and Victims: 120 rapists identified among sample of 1,882 students with 76 being serial rapists with on average 14 victims
By these serial rapists: 439 rapes and attempted rapes, 49 sexual assaults, 343 acts of sexual abuse or violence against children, and 214 acts of battery against intimate partners
Hopkins Undergraduate Research Journal in March 2012: 1 in 3 college assaults that get reported are committed by student athletes

One of the largest surveys of college sexual violence ever conducted by Association of American Universities
150,000 students at 27 schools
23% of female undergraduates said they were victims of sexual assault and misconduct
26% of female seniors experienced sexual assault and misconduct during college
Certain schools were higher:
34% of female seniors at University of Michigan
32% of female seniors at Yale
29% of female seniors at Harvard
More than 50% of those surveyed who were assaulted did not report the assault
Felt it was not “serious enough”, embarrassed, ashamed, too emotionally difficult, and that nothing would be done
BJS found that during 2014 to 2015 school year; 10.3% of female undergraduates were victim of sexual assault (rape or sexual violence) with schools ranging from 4.2% to 20% at another[1]
23,000 students from 9 universities (15,000 female and 8,000 male)
Some universities reporting 5 times higher rates of sexual violence than other schools.
Rate of sexual assault victimization ranged from 85 incidents per 1,000 female students at one school to 325 per 1,000 at another school
Average rate of rape victimization was 54 per 1,000 with range of 28 per 1,000 at one school at 110 per 1,000 at another.
Over course of college, 13% to 51% of females in their fourth year had been victim of sexual battery or rape.
Females, younger students and lesbian, gay, and bisexual students are most at risk.
Since entering college, prevalence rate of sexual assault for transgendered persons at all nine schools was almost 28%.
Total of 2,380 incidents of completed rape during 2014-2015 academic year with 32% or 770 occurring on campus and 60 being reported to school authorities (3% of all completed rapes are reported)
Indicates most rapes are not reported to school authorities and unreported by schools
Study found that when student respondents had negative perception of school leadership on sexual assault issues those schools had higher rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
In December 2014: Bureau of Justice Statistics study[2] examining rape and sexual assault victimization among college age females from 1995 to 2013 found that rape and sexual assault victimizations of students (80%) were more likely to go unreported to police than nonstudent victimizations (67%).
Student victims (12%) were more likely than nonstudents (5%) to state that the incident was not important enough to report.
Troubling risk factor is incapacitated rape (using drugs or alcohol)[3]
483 incoming female first year college students at private university in New York state were surveyed before starting college and multiple times throughout their first year.
Asked if someone had forced the women to perform sexual acts while alcohol or drugs made them unable to object or consent
Nearly 18% of the freshmen women reported being a victim of “incapacitated rape” prior to college
During freshmen year of college, 15% of women are raped while incapacitated from alcohol or drugs (Carey, Durney, Shepardson, & Carey, 2015).
Researchers found that a history of incapacitated rape before entering college most strongly predicted a woman’s risk of another rape during her freshmen year.
About 41% of those raped in high school while drunk or drugged reported being raped while incapacitated in their first year of college
10% of women with no history of incapacitated rape experienced assault in their first year of college
Importance of counseling for sexual violence and intoxication to not just start in college but while in high school
Serial rapists may account for 90% of the sexual assaults on college campuses. [4]
Schools underreporting their sexual assault numbers:
In 2014: 91% of nation’s colleges told the federal government that 0 rapes were reported on their campuses.
Under 2013 Violence against Women Reauthorization act, campuses are now required to report on dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking as well as rapes.
In 2014 Clery report, 10% of campuses disclosed cases under these new guidelines.
Calls into question the reporting practices and policies towards sexual assault that colleges have in place.

Sexual Assault in the Military

Women in military make up 14% of US personnel with more than 165,000 enlisted and 35,000 serving as officers
2013: Air Force Academy reported 45 cases of sexual assault, 15 at Naval Academy and 10 at West Point
Department of Defense in 2012 estimated 26,000 instances of unwanted sexual contact up from 19,000 in 2010
Only about 3,200 reported and 300 prosecuted with even lower convictions: however, about 37% prosecutions for similar crimes in civilian courts
National Public Radio in 2010: female veterans reported 30% raped in military.
2004 survey of veterans with PTSD found 71% of women reported sexual assault or rape while serving
1995 survey of Gulf and earlier wars found 90% were sexually harassed

2014: Estimate 20,300 service members experienced a sexual assault. [5]
10,600 military men and 9,600 military women victims of sexual assault.
Women five times more likely to be victims of sexual assault since men outnumber women in military about 6 to 1.
4.9% women and 1% men experience sexual assault.
22% of active duty women and 7% of active duty men may have experienced some form of sexual harassment last year.
Overall 116,600 members were sexually harassed in 2014.
11% increase in number of reports from previous year and 70% increase over 2012 (more people are reporting sexual assaults)
Estimate receiving reports from 1 in 4 military victims as opposed to 1 in 10 military victim in 2012
4,660 “unrestricted reports” and 1,840 “restricted reports” on sexual assault crimes.
Unrestricted reports: reports made to law enforcement or command
Restricted reports: victim can access medical care and counseling without investigation
Estimated percentage of active duty members experiencing any type of sexual assault was 1.54% for all services.
Army was 1.46%, Air Force lowest at 0.78%, Marine Corps at 1.63% and Navy at highest with 2.36%.
62% or two thirds reported retaliation for reporting sexual assault. This number has been unchanged since surveying began.
No progress on stopping retaliation towards victims.
6,131 service member reports for sexual assaults include civilians
About a quarter of reports are civilians who were sexually assaulted by members of military.
Prevalence rates do not count civilian women and civilian military spouses in rates of sexual assault and victimization.
Senator Gillabrand examined the records of four largest military bases in 2013 for reports of sexual assaults[6]. She found that half of the 107 cases of sexual assault involved civilian women living near the military bases and non-military spouses. Their lack of inclusion in prevalence rates for sexual assaults in the DoD SAPRO reports means that the number of civilian survivors could be an additional 5,000 to 6,000 victims added to the 20,000 victims who are military personnel. This number could be even higher as the reports indicated that 53% of sexual assault cases involved civilians and non-military spouses.
Nearly half of the victims who initially filed reports later declined to move forward indicating that fear of retaliation might be present for these victims as well.
Declining to continue the cases could also be due to the lenient punishment received by service members. 20% of the 107 cases went to trial and only 10% of the 107 sexual assault suspects were convicted of a sexual crime, 6% were convicted for a non-sexual crime and 3% were allowed to resign or discharge instead of face court martial.
One case involved 3 victims (one military and 2 civilians) and the Investigating Officer recommended court martial but the Convening Authority allowed for a discharge instead of trial.
In 2015, the UN Universal Periodic Review Panel acknowledged the problem the US military has in preventing sexual violence in the military and ensuring effective prosecution of offenders and redress for victims.
Denmark and Slovenia have especially been outspoken in their criticism.
One issue was the fact that the decision to prosecute cases of alleged sexual assault or harassment is in hands of superiors in chain of command rather than someone experienced in sexual assaults and impartial.

Genocide of Girls

World Health Organization: India ratio of girls to boys is 100 to 112
Sex Ratios in China: 1960:100 females to 106 males; 1990: 100 females to 112 males; 2010: 100 females to 118 males
PBS News Hour reports that in some places of India the ratio is 100 to 154 or 650 girl babies for every 1,000 boys
Amartya Sen estimated in 1990 that 50 million females were missing in China and more than 105 million worldwide
UN Children’s Fund report in October 2013: India accounts for 20% of child mortality worldwide (In 2012 India’s under five child mortality rate was 56 deaths per 1,000)
Compare to 41 in Bangladesh, 14 in Brazil and 7 in US
131 little girls died in India compared to each 100 boys of same age
Mara Hvistendahl estimates at least 160 million girls missing
Consequences:
Imported brides selling high in South Korea ($88 to $660) and 12% of all South Korean marriages are to foreign women from Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, and Japan
Chinese police report that average of 17,500 women who are sold into marriage or slavery against their will are rescued each year
Between 1991 and 1996, 143,000 traffickers were arrested and prosecuted

China:
Due to one child policy and cheap ability to perform ultrasounds and abortions approximately 30 million more men than women will reach adulthood and marriageable age in 2020.
Peak will be during 2030-2045 with at least 20% of men unable to marry and a potential surplus of 40-50 million bachelors
2010 Census from China: men outnumber women by at least 34 million
Sex selection still continues even with current policies to counter it
2010 Census: 118-120 male babies for every 100 female babies born in 2010)
China’s term: “bare branches” or men who are unlikely to be able to marry or bear fruit
Already have significant number of “bachelor villages”
Recent relaxation of one child policies
Even if sex ratios turned around completely today there would still exist 30 years of gender imbalance in the adult population
India:
Due to dowry expectations, females are seen as burden while boys are a way of making money by payment of the bride’s dowry
Boys also are expected to care for the parents
Mortality rate for girls under the age of five in India is 75% higher than for boys.[7]
India does have Pre-Conception and Pre-Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994 (PNDT Act)
Largely disregarded throughout India
UN estimates that 2,000 sex selective abortions are performed daily.[8]
Potentially 2 million fewer females are being added to the India population each year due to sex selective abortions
2011 Census: male outnumber females by approximately 37 million
United Nations estimates 50 million women are missing from India’s population
The population of girl child (age 0-6) was 15.88% of total female population in 2001 but only 12.9% of females in 2011
Specific areas of India have large sex ratios: Haryana’s gender imbalance is 879 females for every 1,000 males
During 1991-2011 the child sex ratio declined from 945 to 914 (overall sex ratio improved from 927 to 940)
Specifically the decline in child sex ratio during 2001 to 2011 in rural areas is more than 3 times compared to drop in urban India
There is some historical connections between femicide and men’s aggression
Mid-19th century in China two floods and famine devastated northeastern China and specifically affected the amount of women in the communities (widespread female infanticide). Nien or outlaw bands attracted young men in large numbers which lead to the formation of militias and the eventual rebellion against the Qing dynasty (Nien Rebellion and larger Taiping rebellion).
Wild West reputation for lawlessness was associated with the abundance of men and lack of marriageable women
Georges Duby (historian and author of The Chivalrous Society) argues that European expansionism was fueled by surplus of ambitious and aggressive young men with poor reproductive prospects.
Consequences of sex selection:
Forced polyandry: one woman being shared by multiple men in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP
Violence against women has become worse in areas most affected by sex selection
Parts of China with the most male biased sex ratios are experiencing increases in gambling, alcohol and drug abuse, kidnapping and trafficking of women
Prostitution has also increased in specific areas of China
India has also seen increases in human trafficking as women have to be brought in from other Indian states and countries to become wives
Incidents of sex trafficking have been increasing steadily since 2008. In 2012, total of 3,554 cases of human trafficking reported an increase of 17% from 2008.
However, convictions for sex trafficking have been declining.
India has also seen increases in Indian men seeking younger girls to marry
47% of girls in India marry before age of 18 according to UNICEF
Sex trafficking: millions of men are unmarried and these single men are more inclined to purchase sex.[9]
Rapes in India have increased but specifically in areas where men outnumber women these violence against women occurs frequently.[10]
More general aggression and violence
Young men are sensitive to circumstances and as the number of men who never find a mate increases so does the intensity of striving.
Lack of a future prospects can force men to engage in more risky behaviors
Become more violent and will respond more readily to perceived slights and insults and starting fights
Most man on man assaults and homicides are linked back to affronts and perceived slights
Lena Edlund (Economist): estimates that every 1 increase in sex ratio results is a 6% increase in rates of violent and property crime
Male criminal behavior drops significantly upon marriage
Buying of women for marriage from other states is a reason for trafficking of women to North West India since 2000

Rape

DRC “world capital or rape” In 2012 Congolese troops trained by US raped 135 women and girls in Minova
Rape in Southern Africa (South African Medical Research Council in 2009 and Lancet Global Health Journal in 2013)
20% in Tanzania, 26% in South Africa and 34% in eastern Congo had “forced a woman not [their] wife or girlfriend to have sex”
Most only countries only 2 to 4 percent

Average of 293,066 (age 12 or older) victims of rape and sexual assault each year in US[11]
1 sexual assault every 107 seconds in US and every 6.2 minutes a woman is raped.
1 out of every 6 American women have been victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape)[12]
In the United States, out of every 100 rapes: 32 get reported to police[13], 7 lead to arrest[14], 3 are referred to prosecutors[15], 2 lead to a felony conviction[16], 2 rapists will spend a single day in prison[17].
Only 32% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported; majority still unreported.
India: Crimes against women have increased by 7.5% since 2010.[18]
Nearly 1 in 3 rape victims in India is under the age of 18. With 1 in 10 being under 14.
Every 20 minutes in India, a woman is raped.
Reporting has increased from 24,923 in 2012 to 33,707 in 2013 (population of 1.2 billion people). Still barriers to reporting and police are trying more innovative tactics to increase reporting such as using ATMs which allow women to report crimes without having to enter police stations.
Compared to 2012 the number of cases in New Delhi has doubled. 4 rape cases are reported each day in New Delhi alone. 92 women are raped every day in India.
Men’s mentality:[19]
51% of men reported committing acts of sexual harassment or violence in public spaces
75% believed that the way women dress influences sexual violence
73% of women say they do not feel safe in their surroundings.
South Africa’s rape rates are very high; rape incidents are 132.4 per 100,000 citizens
500,000 estimated rape cases every year[20]
More than 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime
Only 1 in 9 rapes are reported[21]
In 2014-2015 53,617 rapes were reported[22]
Children are victims of 41% of all reported rape crimes.
About 15% of rape victims are children under the age of 11.
50% of South Africa’s children will be abused before the age of 18.[23]
24,892 rapes and attempted rapes of children under the age of 18.
In one study, South African men willing admit to raping but also raping multiple victims. [24]
27.6% of men committed rape with 23% saying they raped 2-3 women, 8.4% raping 4-5 women, 7.1% raping 6 to 10 and 7.7% saying they had raped more than 10 women or girls.
For every 25 men accused of rape, only 1 is convicted of the crime. [25]

Slavery and Prostitution

Original slave trade: 12.5 million slaves
Global Slavery Index report (October 2013) estimates 29.8 million people slaved today (can include those in bondage as forced labor, married against their will, and prostitutes engaged involuntarily in sex trade)
UN International Labor Organization: 20.9 million engaged in forced labor
$32 billion in profits from slavery
Global Slavery Index: US has 60,000 people in bondage
Siddharth Kara: slave prostitute prices: $1,000 in Asia, $2,000 to $8,000 in Western Europe; average price $1,900
Annual profit for slave owner is $29,000
US State Department estimates 800,000 people traded across international borders each year; 80% are women and girl; more than 3/4ths are sex trade
200 and 300 children sold in Atlanta each month
Atlanta social workers: 42% of sexual exchanges investigated were in brothels and hotel rooms with only 9% in poorer neighborhoods near airport
Scott Cunningham (Baylor): New York City in 2009 had average of 1,690 sex worker ads posted online each day
UNICEF: As many as 7,000 women and girls are trafficked out of Nepal to India every year and about 200,000 are now working in Indian brothels
In Nepal fewer than 5% of women are literate in poorer communities
Child marriage in Nepal: Constitution in 2006 set age for marriage at 20 but penalty for violating is annulment and fine of $8
Latest Trafficking in Persons Report by US State Department in 2013: 188 countries with 30 in tier 1; 92 in tier 2 and 21 in tier 3 (haven’t taken steps to fight human trafficking)
US Department of State estimates 60,000 held against will in US only 138 traffickers convicted in 2012
Nordic Model in Sweden:
# of sex workers in Sweden dropped more than 40% during 5 years following passage of law; prices have also fallen
Germany followed Dutch model (legalization in specific places and times) and trade increased by 70% in larger cities

Due to the covert nature of human trafficking and the lack of awareness of and funding for the issue, accurate statistics are difficult to obtain. Human trafficking is a clandestine crime and few victims and survivors come forward to share their experience due to fear of retaliation, shame, or lack of understanding of what is happening to them.[26]
US State Department Report in 2014 also mentions using survivor stories, new government initiatives, and innovative research when talking about trafficking until more concrete numbers are available.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 mandated the US Department of Justice to conduct a study on the illegal commercial sex industry and its prevalence within the United States. This was reiterated in the TVPRA 2008 because it had been ignored. It still has not been completed.
What numbers we do have:
Since 2007, National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline operated by Polaris Project, has received reports of 14,588 sex trafficking cases inside the United States.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates in 2014 that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them are likely sex trafficking victims.
Globally International Labor Organization estimates that 4.5 million people are trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally.
Urban Institute in 2014 examined several cities underground sex economies and found they ranged from $39.9 million in Denver, Colorado to $290 million in Atlanta, Georgia.
US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that worldwide there are between 12 million and 27 million trafficking victims.
17 agencies and government departments came together to create the “Federal Strategic Action Plan for Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States 2013-2017”
International Labour Organization estimates that more than 20 million men, women, and children are victimized by forced labor and sex trafficking worldwide including in the United States
Percentage of victims identified is 0.4% (not even 1%)
Ratio of convicted offenders to victims identified is 8.5 to 100 in the United States
Past sexual abuse is a predictor for victimization in the sex trafficking industry.
Internet has fueled the prevalence and anonymity of sex trafficking.
Quotes:
“The fact is human trafficking is happening right here, right now, in the United States, probably in any city where anybody lives. Just because you don’t know anything about it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.” Vicki Zito, Mother of Survivor
“When people tell me that women choose this life, I can’t help but laugh. Do they know how many women like me have tried to escape, but have been beaten black and blue when they are caught? To the men who buy us, we are like meat. To everybody else in society, we simply do not exist.”
From United States and are participating in arts programs. Ruth’s poem is on the page and it is amazing.

HIV/AIDS