Table of ContentsRape MythsColleges Are More Prone to AssaultCampus ResourcesIn order to combat sexual assault on college campuses, we must first understand crime statistics. This becomes difficult due to reporting behavior. According to Chelsea Spencer, contributor to “Why Sexual Assault Survivors Do Not Report to Universities: A Feminist Analysis,” eighty percent of survivors do not report the incident to university officials. In a study conducted by Spencer and his team, eight themes related to lack of reporting were discovered. The majority of people who did not report their assault said they did not report it because they did not think it was serious. Other reasons given include not knowing who to turn to, fear, shame about what happened, and thinking the university doesn't need to get involved because It’s not related to school. These types of responses indicate a key problem in sexual assault crimes. This indicates that women are often encouraged to downplay the severity of their assault. In addition to downplaying acts of aggression, this study also highlights how students do not know what to do in the event of a crime. Nineteen percent of people in this study said they didn't know they could report their crime or didn't know how to begin the process (Spencer ---). Many crimes committed on college campuses go unreported because a missing link remains in place. There is little or no education on what to do in the event of a crime. Many students suffer in silence due to lack of effective communication about their options. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay When student survivors decide to report their crimes and seek justice, it often becomes a burden on their lives. Student survivors often find it easier to move on without seeking justice due to the lengthy legal process of reporting. According to Matthew Triplett, author of “Sexual Assault on College Campuses: Seeking the Appropriate Balance Between Due Process and Victims Protection,” reporting becomes difficult because of the due process rights that defendants enjoy. The American justice system gives anyone accused of a crime the opportunity to take legal action before being found guilty. This includes the right to counsel, to subpoena witnesses, and to cross-examine witnesses. The American ideal that everyone is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt adds to the stress of reporting sexual assault crimes. If a student does not report the crime in a timely manner, there is a greater chance that the student will have no physical evidence that the crime occurred. That's not to say it didn't happen, but it makes the investigation much more difficult. These are stories rather than solid evidence. This is where the accused can truly make his case. The protection that the justice system gives to the perpetrator of a crime throughout investigations discourages many people from reporting the facts. Reporting becomes an exhaustive process that does not guarantee justice for the survivor. We cannot expect student survivors to report their incidents when the justice system and post-secondary institutions are not always on their side. Rape Myths Rape Myths Are Beliefsstereotypes surrounding sexual assault. Rape myths are often used to excuse sexualized violence or minimize the protection of victims. These specific myths can cause a lot of hostility when faced with a serious situation. This influences the entire investigation of a sex crime, blames the victim, and can change the sentence given to the accused. Due to the high rate of false accusations, many are hesitant to believe victims. Acceptance of the rape myth is dangerous in that it impacts the victim's story from the beginning. Molly Smith of the journal Criminal Justice and Behavior focuses her work on police officers and their perceptions of rape. sexual assault and acceptance of the rape myth. Smith asserts that our current police population has a resilient culture of hegemonic masculinity in which masculinity and lack of emotion are emphasized. Studies have shown that the beliefs of most police officers adhere to traditional gender roles instilled in society. Rape myth acceptance is linked to hegemonic masculinity. The severity of sexual assaults is decreasing due to police perceptions of the crimes. The majority of police officers who participated in this study believe that eleven to fifty percent of sexual assault allegations were false. Additionally, about ten percent of officers believed that the majority, if not all, of the women lied about their assault. Furthermore, acceptance of the rape myth allows police officers to place blame on the victims rather than the perpetrator. Studies indicated that police officers were more likely to blame the victim if they dressed provocatively, were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or had a promiscuous personality. Police officers also have a harder time believing victims who show no physical signs of assault. College sexual assault is unique in that physical signs of abuse are not always present. Many attacks are not violent because of the atmosphere students find themselves in or because they are committed by people they know. An individual who does not fight back or resist does not excuse the attack. This should not diminish their credibility, particularly among officers whose duty it is to protect victims. Acceptance of the rape myth by police officers poses a threat to victims of sexual assault. This creates a culture of non-reporting due to the potential shame placed on survivors. Having police officers question your credibility is a traumatic injury that no survivor needs to endure. Tyler Reling, in the article “Rape Myths and Hookup Culture,” focuses on why rape myths are still widely accepted across the country. Reling says modern society has significantly changed its dating standards. We now live in a society that participates in a hookup culture, “a social environment that encourages sexual relationships without contact, commitment, or emotional intimacy.” Participation in hookup culture is particularly present in the college environment. Casual sex has reinforced the popular rape myth that the victim likely did not give a clear signal to her attacker. Additionally, hookup culture made it easier to say that an incident was not an assault because of how the victim behaved (in terms of how they were dressed and behaved). Since rapes and affairs often occur in similar settings, such as at parties orin bars, it disrupts individuals in dealing with crime. Many do not understand that consent is the underlying detail that distinguishes rape from a romantic relationship. Rape myths claim that if a victim doesn't retaliate aggressively, she must want to. The majority of college survivors don't fight back due to drunkenness, fear, etc. This detail leads individuals who buy into rape myths to reject their allegations. Non-violent aggression is generally seen as a normal relationship. Hookup culture has allowed people to express their sexuality more freely; however, it reinforced some rape myths. This creates a delicate line between casual sex and forced sex in public places. A commonly accepted myth about rape is the ideology that men cannot be raped. The majority of rapes we see in the media involve a male perpetrator and a female victim. Until recently, individuals believed that raped men did not exist due to the stereotypical male promiscuity. However, it is reported that almost two percent of all men have been victims of sexual assault. Samantha Hodge says the "stereotypical" man may actually explain why men become victims of sexual assault. Hodge states that men are often abused to establish dominance. This patriarchal system which continues to dominate society allows men to be victims of aggression. This structure in place allows villainous acts against individuals, regardless of their gender. It is very important to debunk this particular myth in order to encourage higher reporting rates. Due to the stigma faced by male victims of sexual assault, reporting occurs at a minimum. Society needs to start believing male victims in hopes of creating a more tolerant culture. Until then, we cannot know for sure how many men continue to suffer in silence. Colleges More Prone to Assault Certain aspects of colleges can make students more likely to commit or experience sexual assault. Rebecca Stotzer uses routine activities theory, also known as RAT, to examine institutional factors related to reported sexual assault on campus. Stotzer's studies have determined that there are three critical factors in determining the likelihood of sexual assault crimes occurring in a college community. Crimes are more likely to occur when there is an available victim, a motivated offender, and poor guardians. The RAT reports that the more time an individual spends on campus, the more likely they are to interact with their attacker, thereby increasing the risk of assault. According to Stotzer, approximately eighty percent of college rapes occur in campus dormitories. Living on campus poses a threat to individuals, especially those who do not tend to leave campus frequently. Individuals can fall into a routine, which makes it easier for abusers to track down their victims. As stated previously, the culture of masculinity can pose a threat to the community. Stotzer says college communities that have strong subgroups such as student-athletes and fraternities have a higher rate of sexual assault statistics. These subgroups have a common ideology: drink regularly, party regularly and conquer women. According to Stotzer, "group members reported...more hostility toward women, had higher levels of supportby their peers for sexual assault against women and had higher scores on hypermasculinity and sexual assault.” It is essential to emphasize that membership in these groups does not guarantee a motivated offender. Men who embody masculinized attitudes and are members of these groups often demonstrate higher levels of sexual aggression. In a social context, the combination of being under the influence and being filled with adrenaline can cause a man to feel supported by his peers in committing a sexualized crime. It is important to understand that universities play a role in sexualized violence. The way they are structured, as well as the policies and procedures in place, make their students more likely to be victims of sexual assault. Greek life is a major component of violence on college campuses. The congregation of individuals with similar identities intensifies college culture, thereby increasing the motivation to party. This homogenous culture creates gender inequality, which can be very dangerous in a party culture. Additionally, Elizabeth Armstrong believes that universities are pushing their students to interact with Greek life, especially the popular frat parties. The way residence halls are regulated often pushes students to go out and explore off-campus residences, including those of fraternities. Residence halls enforce strict state drinking laws, which provide for severe penalties such as fines and probation. These consequences do not apply to the off-campus culture, which is why students turn to these houses to party. By pushing their students off campus to have what is considered a good time, they are putting their students at higher risk of being victims of rape at a party. It may not be the university directly endangering its students, but there is a clear connection between university policies, fraternity parties, and celebratory rapes. Universities should consider that by implementing these strict policies, they are not preventing students from drinking. Instead, they push students to drink in less safe environments. Campus Resources Although certain aspects of higher education institutions may make students more vulnerable to sexual violence, campuses also provide many resources to their students for help get through these tragedies. It’s practical; fees are much more cost-effective, there's no need for transportation, and most include a pharmacy for easy prescription pickup. However, these resources are rarely used. In a study conducted by Marla Eisenberg and colleagues, student survivors were shown to have better coping mechanisms and less PTSD when using campus resources. Correlatively, students who did not use campus resources had more difficulty managing their incidents and coping with their trauma. Here we examine why campus resources are not used as often as they could be. The process after sexual assault is not linear; Each victim copes differently. Many factors determine how survivors cope with what happened to them. Heidi Deloveh and Lauren Cattaneo focus on deconstructing the mental process of survivors to better understand why students do or do not seek help. This study concludes that there are generally three main categories that survivors use to assess their needs: their perception of.