U.S. Department of Education Reports New Data on Campus Sexual Assaults

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education offers a detailed look at crime and safety at the nation’s schools and on college and university campuses. Data is presented on a wide range of indicators including sexual assault on college and university campuses.

The report shows that in 2017, there were 6,521 rapes reported on colleges and university campuses. Of these, 5,386, or 83 percent, occurred in residence halls on campus. That year there were 3,877 reports of unwanted sexual fondling. About 55 percent occurred in residence halls. Of course, the actual number of sexual assaults is undoubtedly much higher as many such incidents go unreported. A 2014 U.S. Department of Justice report found that 80 percent of campus sexual assaults are not reported. More recent surveys suggest that the percentage might even be higher.

The number of reported rapes and sexual assaults has been on the rise. It is unclear whether this increase is due to increased numbers of sexual assaults, an increased willingness to report such incidents, or both. In 2017, there were 10,308 reports of forced sexual assault on the nation’s college campuses. This was up from 8,931 the previous year. In 2010, there were under 3,000 reported sexual assaults on college campuses. In 2001, there were just over 2,200.

The full report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2019, may be downloaded by clicking here.