The Latest Campus Sexual Assault Data is Concerning

Something doesn't add up.

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After the Washington Post released a new data report on the forcible sex offenses on college campuses, the attention naturally turned to the schools with the highest numbers. Penn State University had the highest number of reported cases in 2012 (56), while Gallaudet University had the highest rate of reported offenses per 1,000 students at 11.39.

But the schools with little to no reports of rape may signal a problem, too. The report noted that 25 percent of schools with over 1,000 students reported zero rape cases, but as Emily Shire responded in the Daily Beast, it is "statistically impossible for a university not to have suffered any incidences of forcible sexual offenses on campus."

The White House's latest statistics say that one in five women is sexually assaulted in college, and we've seen enough evidence to prove that sexual assault is an epidemic on college campuses nationwide. This could mean that students aren't coming forward because the administration is discouraging them from making reports, or it could mean that the schools are just neglecting to adequately collect this data—especially since schools self-report Clery Act numbers.

Sadly, we're just not at the point where we can believe zero recorded reports of sexual assault really mean zero instances of sexual assault. But hopefully with the incredible advocacy work of some dedicated groups, this can change.

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Laura Cohen