Statistics and Definitions

Title IX statistics:

• One in five women are sexually assaulted while in college
• One in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college
• College students are the most vulnerable to sexual violence during the first few weeks of the first and second year
• About 60% of on-campus rapes occur in the residence of the victim; 31% in another residence; and 9% in fraternity houses
• 90% of survivors on a college campus know their attackers
• 75% of the victims of rape involving attackers known to them did not identify their experience as rape
• Less than 5% of college rapes are reported
• 97% of alcohol-related sexual assaults both parties were drinking

One of the most persistent myths about rape is that the victim was somehow party to the offense: he or she was seductive or provocative and got what they asked for. Even if the victim wore a short skirt, drank too much, and even if he/she acted provocatively or seductively, the victim still retains the right to say no.

What is consent?

Consent means the affirmative, unambiguous and voluntary agreement to engage in a specific sexual activity during a sexual encounter.

Consent cannot be given by an individual who is:

• asleep;
• mentally or physically incapacitated, either through the effect of drugs or alcohol or for any other reason; or
• under duress, threat, coercion, or force.

Consent cannot be assumed or inferred under circumstances in which consent is not clear, including but not limited to:

• the absence of “no” or “stop”; or
• the existence of a prior or current relationship or sexual activity.

View a video regarding consent.

Definitions:

• Sexual Harassment is any form of unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, persuasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient's education program or activity.
• Sexual assault means any offense that meets the definition of rape, fondling, incest, or statutory rape.
• Rape is penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim, this includes any gender victim or perpetrator.
• Fondling is the touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification without consent of the victim.
• Incest is non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
• Statutory rape is non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory are of consent.
• Dating violence is violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim.
• Stalking is engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress. The victim is usually selected, stalked, groomed and victimized. The 6 steps in the grooming process are: target the victim, gain the victim’s trust, fill a need for the victim, isolate the victim, sexual exploitation and maintaining control.
• Quid pro quo is harassment that occurs when a school employee causes a student to believe that he or she must submit to unwelcome sexual conduct in order to participate in a school program or activity. It can also occur when an employee causes a student to believe that the employee will make an educated decision based on whether or not the student submits to unwelcome sexual conduct.
• A hostile environment is when harassment occurs when unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature is no severe, persistent, or pervasive that it affects a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from an education program or activity, or creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment. A hostile environment can be created by a school employee, another student, or even someone visiting the school, such as a student or employee from another school.
• Domestic Violence is violence committed by a person who is or has been a current or former spouse of the victim, person with whom the victim shares a child in common, or person who is cohabitating or have cohabitated with the victim as a spouse.