Allie Yanello

Mr. Newman
English 101:Rhetoric
30 November 2014
Sexual Assault
For decades there has been a controversial issue of whether college campuses are doing
enough to prevent sexual assault. College students are young and vulnerable at this stage in their
life, making them more prone to being sexually assaulted. According to New York times debate,
many schools try to hide the reports of any assault happening on campus. As a senior in high
school looking into colleges to further my education, I would like to be aware of the real facts. If
people are being assaulted on campus, that college is expected to report that. Prospective
students should be aware of the rates so they know the risks. Instead, universities are sweeping it
under the table. In fact, 77 percent of colleges documented Zero reports of sexual assault on
campus meaning one in five college women will be sexually assaulted. This astonishing number
has gained the attention from many different people.
Due to the 1990 Clery Act, schools are mandated to report the number of sexual assault
cases that have been reported to their universities. Climate surveys were put into place so that
students did have a way to speak up. Due to the wide range of under reporting congress
representatives are proposing, new legislation that would require schools to conduct campus
climate surveys to combat this widespread and illegal underreporting. Rape is the most
violent, underrated crime on college campuses. The safety of the students should be the most
important thing but in some cases that is not true. In Room for Debate, Surveys Will Reveal the
True Numbers of Sexual Assault Survivors on Campus, author Danielle Dirks, an assistant

professor of sociology at Occidental College, co-founder of End Rape on Campus, and the author
of the forthcoming "Confronting Campus Rape: Legal Landscapes, New Media and Networked
Activism, says, Though the Clery Act aimed to remedy this issue, two decades later it is clear
that campus officials routinely violate and under report their crime data to avoid jeopardizing
their reputations (Dirks, 1). Although I do see how that could ruin a college's reputation, I
maintain it should be reported honestly. Sexual assault is going on all around us and lying about
it is not going to bring it to an end. The way to begin to solve this is not by hiding what is really
going on, but by telling the truth.
Rates of sexual assault are nationally similar. Even when people know they are not alone,
some still feel shame to report the attacks. With over 85% of students not reporting
victimization, low sexual assault statistics should not make you feel safer. Nancy Chi Cantalupo,
a researcher at Georgetown University Law Center, argues that, Without thorough reporting,
schools cannot protect victims rights to equal educational opportunities. Schools cannot
prevent a problem if they dont know it's happening. In some cases, people think because this
problem is going on everywhere they cannot do anything about it. Although, I do see how
colleges do not want people finding out about their sexual assault cases because it may deter
people from their school. I maintain that the safety of the students is more important than their
reputation. Especially since the problem is going on all around the world, figuring ways to get
help out their will improve schools across the globe.
All schools must comply by having a survey available to them to report sexual
harassment and sexual violence committed by students. Each school is then required to
thoroughly look into and investigate the situation reported. This assures accountability for each
student being harmed. Holly Rider-Milkovich, the director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and

Awareness Center at the University of Michigan, says, The criminal justice system alone is
simply not effective enough to keep young people safe. Pernicious victim-blaming attitudes still
permeate our entire culture, not just our campuses. Prevention takes many vigorous steps not
just one. In many cases, colleges have the survey available but are still doing nothing to prevent
the assaults. Police and officials need to be notified so they can prevent things like rape on
campuses. Expecting someone to prevent something they do not know is going on is unheard of.
A director of policy research at the Foundation of Individual Rights of Education, Sammantha
Harris argues that Law Enforcement needs to take lead in campus sexual assault cases. She says,
Only our criminal justice system can properly protect the accuser and the accused -- and punish
those found guilt accordingly. We are currently relying on our school systems disciplinary
system which is why every report is getting sent to the back burner to protect the schools
reputation. The only thing the school can do if they find out the assault charges are true is expel
the student; this isnt solving anything because they are still free to go out and hurt someone
again. For everyone's sake, the school should focus on giving support and leave the punishing to
the law enforcement so the rapist can get the punishment they deserve.
In the end, sexual assault is a problem that will not be easy to prevent. The process in
stopping this is going to be a long one, but you have to start somewhere. People need to speak up
when the offense happens and report it truthfully. From there, the colleges need to take control
by letting the law enforcement know. Sexual harassment is not taken lightly and those who
assault others need to be convicted properly. Jane Stapleton, the co-director of the Prevention
Innovations program at the University of New Hampshire argues that, Effective prevention
must be comprehensive and include multiple strategies, including in-person prevention programs
and public campaigns. Furthermore, prevention strategies need to be evaluated to measure their

true success. Getting results back from these evaluations will only ensure that even with their all
flaws in the strategies they will be worked through. The way to fix this problem is to fight
through the problems and to keep preventing assault so it stops happening. Sexual assault is no
joke, sexual assault is hurting young people all around the world and we need to start doing a
better job protecting them.

Works Cited
Dirks, Danielle. Surveys Will Reveal the True Numbers of Sexual Assault Survivors on

Campus. The New York Times. New York Times, 12 August 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Harris, Samantha. Law Enforcement Must Take the Lead in Campus Sexual Assault Cases.

The New York Times. New York Times, 13 August 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Rider-Milkovich, Holly. Campuses Are the Best Places for Sexual Assault Accountability. The

New York Times. New York Times, 12 August 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Nancy, Chi Cantalupo. "Accurate Reporting of Sexual Assault on Campus Without Shame. The

New York Times. New York Times, 12 August 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.