Education and asking good questions should be part of evaluating a school.
Editor’s note: The following is the second of four columns submitted by the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Choosing a college is a big decision.

One generally thinks about the quality of education, the living environment and the cost. Rarely do young people or their parents think about the risks. And rarely do young women know that the first year of college is a high-risk year for becoming a victim of sexual assault.

A National Institute of Justice survey of women attending colleges and universities revealed that 2.9 percent experienced a complete or attempted rape in the first seven months of the 1996-97 school year.

Twenty-two percent of those women reported that they had been victimized more than once, which raises the incidence rate to 35.3 percent. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of rape victims knew the offenders. (Bureau of Justice Statistics. “The Sexual Victimization of College Women.” December 2002). Many of those assaults involved the use of alcohol or drugs.

To help students and their parents think about this issue and assess safety on college campuses, the following are some questions to be asked as students consider their choice of colleges.

Ask how many rapes are reported on the campus each year. By federal law, colleges and universities are required to report the numbers of sexual assaults on their campus. Remember, however, those numbers only account for the numbers of sexual assaults that are actually reported to the college. If a college or university reports zero sexual assaults, it may mean that there were, in fact, no sexual assaults on that campus. It is more likely, however, that students are not reporting the sexual assault to that college.

Does the college or university have policies and systems that encourage or discourage reporting of sexual assaults?

Find out if there is a protocol for dealing with a sexual assault. College students should also consider whether there is a victim’s advocate on campus and a 24-hour hot line for help and support. Also, investigate the disciplinary process when a report is made and find out who is involved. Notifications procedures are also important. Find out if the police are called or if the victim is encouraged to report the attack to the police and if the campus community is told when there is a sexual assault. Consider also whether the school protects the victim’s identity.

Ask about campus security and police programs. Find out where they are located, what hours they are available, and if there are both male and female police officers. Also, determine if security regularly patrols the campus, and if they have received training on responding to sexual assaults.

Next, ask questions about the security of the residence halls. Are the doors locked 24 hours a day? Who has access to individual buildings? Do residence halls have a live-in supervisor? Is there hall staff on duty each evening? Are they trained to deal with the issue of sexual assault? Is there a campus and community resource guide available for adequate and appropriate referrals?

It is important to assess what the college or university does to address and prevent sexual violence.

Education and awareness about sexual violence should be provided to new students at orientation and then on an ongoing basis. Policies about alcohol and drug use need to be explained to new students upon admission. Students should be made aware that alcohol and drug use are strongly correlated with sexual violence.

Are there sexual harassment, sexual violence, rape and date rape drug awareness programs in residence halls? Does the college provide public service announcements about sexual harassment and sexual violence in the form of posters or radio announcements? Are there emergency call boxes on campus? Is there adequate lighting in parking lots and on campus pathways? Does the campus offer emergency or rape whistles or self-defense courses?

It is also helpful to assess what kind of resources the college or university has for a person who has been sexually assaulted. Look for a health or medical center on campus and find out what services they can provide and the hours of operation. Does the college have an on-campus counseling service and does it use professional counselors or peer counselors? Are support groups available? Does the college or university have a relationship with the local rape crisis center?

No one wants to think about being sexually assaulted at college. But by recognizing the reality and the risk, parents and students can gather relevant information and assess the environment of a particular college. It is important information, and may, unfortunately, prove to be invaluable.
Marty McIntyre is the executive director of the Androscoggin County Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

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