One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while they are in college, and 90 percent of these assaults are never reported, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
Crime reports at the University of Memphis show a similar pat- tern. In 2015, only one rape and five forcible fondlings were reported to campus police.
In 2016, an even lower number were reported to U of M police. One forcible fondling was reported, and one rape was reported through the counseling center, according to chief of police Derek Myers.
Myers said students often don’t report these crimes to campus police at all. Sometimes, campus police learn about sexual assaults anonymously through the Campus Counseling Center.
“The counseling center doesn’t release anything confidential to us,” Myers said. “However, under federal law, they have to tell us that a client came to them and said that they were sexually assaulted on campus. I have no idea who the victim or suspect is, but it ends up getting turned into a report.”
As part of a national conversation, the University of Memphis is trying to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses with a series of activities, pledges, and special speakers during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Anna Whalley, administrator of crime victim services at Shelby County Rape Crisis Center, said that sexual assault has been a problem on college campuses for years. Getting victims to report can help stop the crimes, she said.
“The only way campuses can get rapists to quit doing what they’re doing is for victims to report,” Whalley said.
More victims are coming forward now because they’re hoping to get harsher consequences for their offender, she said.
“Victims have either been afraid to speak out about what happened to them, or they didn’t think anything would happen to the offender,” Whalley said.
Rosie Bingham, vice president for student affairs, agrees that the most important thing for victims to do is to report the assault somewhere they feel comfortable.
Reporting to the university police is a good option for victims so they can automatically report the assault and then be directed to the counseling center and the office of institutional equity, she said.
Bingham reiterated that the University of Memphis takes sexual assault and rape very seriously.
“The counseling center and student conduct office have been doing programs on sexual assault,” Bingham said. “The university has done some bystander intervention training, so if someone sees anyone being taken advantage of, they know how to intervene.”
As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the University of Memphis gave students and faculty the option to take the Bystanders Pledge so they know how to recognize sexual assault, identify when it may occur, intervene when consent is not given, and create an environment where survivors are supported.
Bingham said university president, M. David Rudd, makes sure the campus community is aware of this ongoing problem.
“We send out a letter to the community from the president every year talking about sexual assault,” Bingham said. “He has also taken a zero tolerance policy on the issue.”
U of M administrators aren’t the only ones worried about raising awareness about sexual assault. Zeta Beta Tau fraternity recently hosted its first Green Light Go event, a giant game of Red Light/Green Light to teach students about consent and sex.
Zeta Beta Tau president, Tony Joe Connell, said teaching signals and prevention is important to help stop the crimes.
“When you’re in an environment where sexual assault can happen, a red light and yellow light do not mean to go,” Connell said. “The entire point is to teach students that only the green light means to go. We try to teach that you need to get full consent from someone before having sex.”
The University of Memphis defines consent as “an informed decision, freely given, made through mutually understandable words or actions that indicate a willingness to participate in mutually agreed upon sexual activity.”
The university sexual misconduct policy also says that a person cannot give consent if they are asleep, unconscious or mentally or physically incapacitated, or are under duress, threat, coercion or force.
