In light of recent date rape and college sexual assault statistics, law enforcement and campus officials have been on high alert to catch and prosecute alleged offenders.
MayesTelles PLLC is starting a series on a topic that has gained increased visibility in recent years – a topic that has become a major problem on Arizona college campuses. That issue is sexual assault or “date rape” in some senses of the term.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently reported that sexual assault statistics on college campuses have historically been “grossly underestimated.” The DOJ estimated that as many as 20% of college females and males would be raped before they graduate from college. Other figures put college rape statistics at an average of 3% of students per academic year, including summers and holiday breaks.
Statistics like these can cause both administrators and law enforcement to be overly skeptical of college males, in particular, creating a “predator bias.” Sexual assault on college campuses is a legitimate concern, considering the statistics –
- 20-25% of coeds will be raped at some point during their college education (5 calendar years).
- 15.5% of college females are subject to some type of unwanted sexual conduct, including both rape and threatened rape.
- Over 13% of college students become the victim of stalking. On average, these students are stalked for 60 days out of the academic year.
- The DOJ estimates that fewer than 5% of college rapes and attempted rapes are reported to authorities (either campus officials or law enforcement).
- Most – about 90% – of sexual assault victims know or have met their alleged attacker.
Because underreporting and false accusations are a problem, accurate college rape figures are difficult to come by. The DOJ got their statistics by conducting surveys on two major U.S. college campuses. Yes, just two. The DOJ's survey was also web-based, and only got responses from 42% of the students it was sent to. While sexual assault on college campuses is certainly a problem, the frequency may not be as severe as the recent DOJ statistics might insinuate.
Data on college sexual assaults may also be skewed by the difference in how each state defines sexual assault. In Arizona, sexual assault is defined in 13-1406 as,
Intentionally or knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with any person without consent of such person.
This offense is a class 2 felony in Arizona. Anyone convicted will also be required to register as a sex offender. If you or someone you know has been accused of date rape or some other form of college-related sexual assault, we invite you to contact a Phoenix criminal lawyer at MayesTelles PLLC. We represent college students facing rape accusations throughout the state of Arizona, such as students at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and more. Call today for your free case evaluation.