Sexual assault reports on Ohio University’s campus have increased in the past year, but OU officials credit the hike to victims’ willingness to report crimes.
The Clery Report, which was released Friday, compares crime statistics for 2010 to the two years prior. In 2010, a total of 12 forcible sex offenses were reported on campus property, compared to the eight reported in 2009.
However, OU Police Department Chief Andrew Powers emphasized that while the total reported number of sexual assaults rose, the number of reported rapes went down. There were six forcible rapes reported on campus property in 2010, compared to eight reported in 2009. This year’s numbers increased because of more reports of forcible fondling.
OUPD’s website lists seven rape reports and five reports of sexual imposition between March 2009 and now. All are still listed as active investigations.
Investigations remain active unless a victim’s story changes drastically or an arrest is made, Powers said. The police department continues to follow up on reported crimes when they receive new information or leads.
“If you look at national statistics on sexual assault, we know it’s a grossly underreported crime,” Powers said. “I don’t think we can ever believe the numbers reported are what is actually happening.”
Rather than an actual increase in sexual assaults on campus, the increase in reported assaults could be a result of sexual assault awareness and victims’ assistance programs on campus, said Kent Smith, vice president for Student Affairs.
“We’ve worked really hard to make sure people are comfortable reporting sexual assaults,” he said.
OU is creating programs geared toward greater education and awareness, and the Women’s Center recently hired a sexual assault advocate. OU Judiciaries has also increased punishment for sexual offenders; anyone found responsible for a sexual offense of any type will be suspended from OU, and any student responsible for a sexual offense involving penetration will be expelled.
“As a father of a daughter who’s in college, in my opinion, one sexual assault anywhere, let alone on a college campus, is one too many,” Smith said.
Student Senate President Kyle Triplett said simple measures such as encouraging students to travel together at night and publicizing OU’s Safe-T Patrol service will help. He added that although efforts of the administration and police department have contributed to the increase of sexual assault awareness on campus, students need to be proactive.
“I think it needs to come from student organizations,” Triplett said. “Having it come from your peers rather than the police or administrators. … I do think that the message will be most effective coming from their fellow students.”
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