This massive survey of American universities reveals just how common sexual assault is

College campus
(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

In one of the largest studies ever done on the topic of college sexual violence, the Association of American Universities (AAU) asked 150,000 students at 27 schools to divulge their experiences with nonconsensual sexual contact. The results are appalling: At most schools, at least one in every five women said they had experienced sexual assault or misconduct. Sexual assault rates ranged from a low of 13 percent to a high of 30 percent, with most schools reporting numbers in the mid-20s.

While the survey was extensive, the results are only from universities that decided to participate in the AAU study. Many of the schools were Ivy League universities, while others were prestigious public schools, like the University of Michigan, which reported rates as high as 30 percent for women (with 13 percent reporting nonconsensual sexual penetration) and 7 percent for men.

Startlingly, over half of the victims of sexual assault, including those of forced penetration, did not report the event because they did not consider it "serious enough." Another portion said they "did not think anything would be done about it."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

You can read all of the findings, with a breakdown of the schools, in the AAU report here.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.