The report by the DOJ uncovers data regarding the statistics of rape and sexual assault in women ages 18-24.
The issue of rape and sexual assault, particularly regarding female college students, has long been an area of controversy. Recently, a college freshman was allegedly raped at the University of Virginia, and received heavy media attention. A report by the Department of Justice, however, contradicts the notion that college students are more likely victims of rape.
The report, titled “Rape and Sexual Assault Victimization Among College-Age Females,” claims that in females ages 18-24 non-students have a higher victimization rate than students. The study is based on data provided by the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey and covers the period of 1995-2013. According to the statistics used in the report, this age group had the highest rate of sexual assault and rape.
“For the period 1995–2013, females ages 18 to 24 had the highest rate of rape and sexual assault victimizations compared to females in all other age groups,” stated the report.
The appendix of the report also states that the findings, though accurate, are different from other reports because of “a different purpose and methodological approach.”
For female non-students, the rate of rape and sexual assault was 1.2 times higher than that of female students; 7.6 out of 1,000 female non-students as opposed to 6.1 out of 1,000 female students.
More student victims, however, felt that their victimization was not important enough to report to the police and failed to report the events. The report showed that 80 percent of student victims did not report to the police, whereas 67 percent of non-student victims did not report their assault. 12 percent of student victims claimed that the incident was “not important enough” to report, while only 5 percent of non-students stated the same.
Further, non-student victims were more likely to be assaulted in their own homes. 50 percent of non-students experienced assaults at home as opposed to 31 percent of student victims.
Despite these differences, about 75 percent of victims in both groups knew the sexual offenders. Also, less than 20 percent of victims received aid from a victim services agency: 18 percent of non-student and 16 percent of student victims.
Some activists claim that the issue of rape and sexual assault is being addressed in the wrong manner. Laura Dunn commented on the recent statistics in an interview with the Christian Science Monitor. She explained that the report shed light on the stigma of victimization, and the need for society to encourage victims to seek help. Dunn then focused on the need to focus on the offenders as well as the victims.
“Anytime you are only studying victimization and not perpetration, you are limited in your ability to be helpful in truly solving this problem,” she said.
