Sexual Assaults on Campuses Increase Worldwide: Wilson Blue Book Makes Policy Clear
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports that one in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while in college.
Sexual assault is defined by the United States Department of Justice as “any type of sexual contact or behavior without the explicit consent of the recipient.”
More than ever sexual assaults have become an increasing problem among college campuses worldwide. One of the biggest reasons that the number of sexual assaults keeps rising is due to the fact that over 90 percent of victims who experience sexual assault in college do not report it.
One of the biggest factors that plays into the reporting is the relationship that the victim may have with the offender. The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault reports that if the offender is a current intimate partner or former intimate partner, only 25 percent of those assaults are reported to the police. If an offender is a friend or an acquaintance, then only 18 to 40 percent are reported. The highest amount of reporting falls into the category where the offender is a total stranger, in this case 46-66 percent of assaults are reported.
Like most institutions, Wilson College has a set policy for sexual assault in order to keep students safe.
As stated from the Blue Book given to every student at the beginning of each academic year, “Members of the Wilson College community, guests, and visitors have the right to be free from all forms of sexual misconduct. All members of the campus community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of others. This policy is intended to define community expectations and to establish a mechanism for determining when those expectations have been violated.”
Wilson’s sexual assault policy was designed to help create a campus that is free from violence.
The most important thing to know is that if a sexual misconduct happens there are numbers and resources to get help from. If any student feels that they need help, Campus Security 717-372-2255 and Women in Need Chambersburg 717-264-4444 are both resources that can be used.
