America
US varsities downplay on-campus sexual assaults: Study
Washington, Feb 3
US universities tend to
under-report cases of on-campus sexual assaults unless they are under
federal scrutiny, a study has revealed.
"When it comes to sexual
assault and rape, the norm for universities and colleges is to downplay
the situation and the numbers," said researcher Corey Rayburn Yung of
the University of Kansas.
"The result is students at many
universities continue to be attacked and victimised, and punishment is
not meted out to the rapists and sexual assaulters," Yung added.
Some
of the colleges or universities have continued to under-report even
after being fined for violations of federal law, the findings showed.
Yung
analysed the numbers of on-campus sexual assaults reported by 31 large
universities and colleges during audits from 2001 to 2012 by the US
Department of Education for compliance with federal crime reporting
requirements.
During the audits, the reported numbers of sexual
assaults increased by approximately 44 percent on average from
previously reported levels.
After the audits ended, the reported
number of sexual assaults in following years dropped to pre-audit
levels, evidence that some schools provided a more accurate picture of
sexual assaults on campus only when they were under federal scrutiny,
the study concluded.
"Colleges and universities still are not taking the safety of their students from sexual assault seriously," Yung noted.
"The
study shows that many universities continue to view rape and sexual
assault as a public relations issue rather than a safety issue," he
added.
The research was published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.