New Justice Department Survey of Campus Sexual Assault

A new study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics examined incidents of sexual assault and rape on college campuses during the 2014-15 academic year. More than 23,000 students were surveyed.

The study found that 10.3 percent of all women had been sexually assaulted during the 2014-15 school year. Slightly more than 4 percent reported that they had been raped. During the entire course of their time at college, 21 percent of all women undergraduates reported that they had been sexually assaulted.

The survey found that younger women were more likely to be victims of sexual assault than older women and nonheterosexual students were more likely to be assaulted than heterosexual students. The data is also broken down by racial/ethnic group, the month of year when assaults were more likely, and by campus location.

One caution: The response rate for the survey was 54 percent for college women. The question is whether women who had experienced sexual assault were less likely or more likely to respond. A nonresponse bias analysis was conducted and concluded that there was a minimal impact on the overall results.

The full 425-page report, Campus Climate Survey Validation Study Final Technical Report, may be downloaded by clicking here.