It's Absurd That 40% Of Colleges Haven't Had A Sexual Assault Investigation In The Past 5 Years

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Oral Roberts University Campus Praying Hands Statue

Via Wikimedia Commons

Oral Roberts University claims to have had no sexual assault reports over a three year period.

A Senate report critiquing college's sexual assault practices released earlier this week contained several shocking statistics, but none is more staggering than the number of schools that claim to have zero sexual violence complaints.

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According to the report, 40% of the colleges and universities surveyed have not conducted any sexual assault investigations in the past five years. This lack of action likely reveals a campus culture that makes it uncomfortable for victims to report assaults, or potentially a school administration that is unresponsive to student complaints.

Likewise, The Washington Post recently published data showing the specific number of sexual assault reports at colleges across the country over the course of three years. Around 45% of the schools included claimed they had no sexual assault reports during that time.

These are insane statistics, as several studies have estimated that around one in five female students will experience some form of sexual misconduct during college. That there are no reports at these colleges - some of which have tens of thousands of students - reveals a major campus issue.

In fact, the colleges with a higher number of sexual assault reports and investigations are probably much safer for students than schools without any reports.

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As we wrote yesterday, colleges are now recognizing the positive element of a higher number of sexual assault reports. Cornell University Chief of Police Kathy Zoner recently told a school publication that she was "heartened" by an increase in the number of sexual assault reports, as the higher number indicated "not that the campus is less safe, but that people are feeling more comfortable turning to our many campus resources for help."