Rape Victims' Fear Contributes To Secrecy
Arielle Brechisci
Issue date: 5/8/08 Section: Features
Eva Feldman's daughter waited 72 hours to report to campus police that she had been raped in her dorm room at Indiana University. She waited four more days to tell her parents. "I didn't want to make daddy cry," was her daughter's reason.
Her behavior is typical of rape victims, who delay reporting their attacks, if they ever do, for many reasons including shame, fear, guilt and a flawed judicial system.
One in four women become victims of sexual assault during college, and five percent of these victims actually report it. Acquaintance rapes are most common, accounting for over 80 percent of rapes on college campuses.
"It's hands down predictable, so it should be preventable," Feldman said, who started CampusRape.org in response to her daughter's tragedy.
This trend affects college campuses all over the country, where victims often remain silent about their physical, mental and emotional anguish.
"Current research on the victimization of college students confirms that rape and sexual harassment continue to be serious problems on campuses," the 2002 U.S. Department of Justice National Victim Assistance Academy report said.
In 2005, the U.S Department of Justice examined rape on college campuses and determined that five percent of college women experience a completed or attempted rape each year. In 2006, Stony Brook University had 11,874 female students. That translates to about 594 rape incidents. That year, there were three reported acquaintance rapes, six reports of sexual abuse and zero reported attempted or stranger rapes.
Feldman blames Indiana University's administration and campus police for failing to adequately prosecute the man who raped her daughter. He served no jail time, and was allowed to re-enroll after a one-year suspension. Feldman says the university deemed the case difficult to prosecute because alcohol was involved. "Alcohol should not give a predator immunity from prosecution," Feldman said.
Her behavior is typical of rape victims, who delay reporting their attacks, if they ever do, for many reasons including shame, fear, guilt and a flawed judicial system.
One in four women become victims of sexual assault during college, and five percent of these victims actually report it. Acquaintance rapes are most common, accounting for over 80 percent of rapes on college campuses.
"It's hands down predictable, so it should be preventable," Feldman said, who started CampusRape.org in response to her daughter's tragedy.
This trend affects college campuses all over the country, where victims often remain silent about their physical, mental and emotional anguish.
"Current research on the victimization of college students confirms that rape and sexual harassment continue to be serious problems on campuses," the 2002 U.S. Department of Justice National Victim Assistance Academy report said.
In 2005, the U.S Department of Justice examined rape on college campuses and determined that five percent of college women experience a completed or attempted rape each year. In 2006, Stony Brook University had 11,874 female students. That translates to about 594 rape incidents. That year, there were three reported acquaintance rapes, six reports of sexual abuse and zero reported attempted or stranger rapes.
Feldman blames Indiana University's administration and campus police for failing to adequately prosecute the man who raped her daughter. He served no jail time, and was allowed to re-enroll after a one-year suspension. Feldman says the university deemed the case difficult to prosecute because alcohol was involved. "Alcohol should not give a predator immunity from prosecution," Feldman said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 12
Eva
posted 5/10/08 @ 11:06 AM EST
This was a super piece of journalism and I appreciate the amount of time and research that went into this. I hope this University will begin to examine their track record in investigating crimes against women on this campus and adopt a mandatory incoming program to warn women about the risk to them of sexual assault. (Continued…)
David M. Razler eic '77
posted 5/11/08 @ 2:58 PM EST
Rape is a horrible crime, an aggravated assault that society in general still seems to hold to be somehow a stain upon the victim, making her (at least in almost all cases) an untouchable, something that wouldn't happen were she simply stabbed or shot. (Continued…)
Ruth
posted 5/11/08 @ 5:36 PM EST
Great article, my heart goes out to Ms. Feldman's daughter. I live in FL near the UF campus in Gainesville. The same things go on here. To a large degree, the university does not want to run kids off from attending, while at the same time, sweeping many rapes under the rug. (Continued…)
help@campusrape.org
posted 5/12/08 @ 11:22 AM EST
Mr. Razler,
Are you on a University pay-roll, because your rantings are very similar to those of administrators who don't want to accept accountability for the assault of young females who are never made aware of the risks to them on campuses across this country. (Continued…)
help@campusrape.org
help@campusrape.org
posted 5/12/08 @ 11:42 AM EST
Mr. Razler,
Are you on a University pay-roll, because your rantings are very similar to those of administrators who don't want to accept accountability for the assault of young females who are never made aware of the risks to them on campuses across this country. (Continued…)
Louise
posted 5/13/08 @ 10:42 AM EST
Is this the same David Razzler whose profile is on; http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/view_profile.php?userid=47001, if so maybe you should spend more of your time using your computer to look for extraterrestrials something your probably better at than commenting on campus sexual assault. (Continued…)
Beth
posted 5/27/08 @ 5:30 PM EST
Thank you for your article!
help@campusrape.org
posted 6/01/08 @ 9:52 PM EST
Razzler,
SETI really needs so called journalists like you, the rest of us trying to work hard to protect young,women who REALLY DO fall victim to rape on campus at alarming rates do not. (Continued…)
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