Students

Campus Sexual Assault: University of Michigan Finds a Quarter of Female Undergrads Don't Feel Safe

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The University of Michigan (UM) released the results of a survey conducted over the past year, finding more than 20 percent of undergraduate females say they have experienced sexual assault.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the school released their report Wednesday in order to assess the climate on campus regarding sexual misconduct. The survey indicated a quarter of the female undergraduate student body did not feel safe from being sexually assaulted on campus.

"As a university president, a physician-scientist, an educator and a father, the issue of sexual misconduct keeps me awake at night," UM President Mark Schlissel said in a news release. "I feel personally responsible for the safety and well-being of all students at the University of Michigan."

Along with Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University, the Press noted, UM is under federal investigation for complaints of Title IX violations related to their handling of campus sex crimes. Such investigations have increased exponentially over the past five years.

During that span, sexual assault survivor advocates have pointed to statistics that indicated one in ever five females in college were subject to some form of nonconsensual sexual contact. A recent poll from the Washington Post and the Keiser Family Foundation verified those figures, as does UM's survey.

22.5 percent of undergraduate female respondents said they experienced nonconsensual kissing, touching or penetration, USA Today reported. Of those undergraduate females, 12 percent said they experienced penetration.

However, only 3.9 percent of female undergraduates who experienced sexual assault said they reported the incident to the school. One of the reasons respondents gave for not reporting the incident to authorities was fear of inaction.

"Having good data is important," Schlissel said in the release. "The more we know about our own community, the more we can spread awareness of the issues we face and the better we are able to focus our programs to be successful.

"It is a challenge to face these issues forthrightly, but it's also critical that we do so if we are to solve this issue, together. We want every student to feel safe on our campus and to trust the university to take the appropriate action when necessary."

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