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