Twenty percent. One in five. Every fifth person walking down the street. No matter how the fact is stated, the idea that twenty percent of women in college will be sexually assaulted during their four years of university is still chilling. These facts and figures, released every few years by various organizations through extensive studies, such as the White House or the Department of Education, paint a picture of the United States that is horrifying, particularly in an age in which feminism is gaining ground and everywhere sexual assault and rape are strongly condemned.
Unfortunately, though, examples of the famous statistic are evident almost every day in the news headlines. The most recent incident in the national spotlight originates at the University of Tennessee, where six unidentified college women filed a lawsuit last week against the university claiming that it had violated Title IX regulations in the way it dealt with reports of sexual assaults committed by athletes at the school between 2013 and 2015. The lawsuit also mentions mishandled assault cases at the school dating from as far back as 1995, including one involving football legend Peyton Manning when he was there as a student athlete in 1997. Moreover, the six women claim that the university promoted an environment that was more favorable to student athletes than to victims, and cite over a dozen cases of sexual assault or harassment that were either not addressed properly or never brought forward at all.
When the phrase “Title IX” is Googled, various articles come up on what it is and cases that have concerned it. For those who are unclear of what Title IX is, according to the United States Department of Justice, it is “a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.” This not only extends to protecting women from discrimination, but also to protecting them from assault in college and to responding to that sort of issue on campus appropriately. Sadly, besides the University of Tennessee, there are currently 55 other colleges or universities in the United States being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education on violations committed under Title IX. These aren’t just schools that no one has heard of in the middle of nowhere. No, they include the University of Virginia, Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, and both Harvard University and the Harvard University Law School. This doesn’t exactly encourage confidence in the higher education system, which makes millions each year on promoting a safe and enriching college education for all involved. Indeed, as a college-aged woman, these facts are downright terrifying.
So, what is being done to combat these statistics and the reality of daily life at a major institution of learning? Well, thankfully there are over 7,000 degree-granting institutions in the United States, the majority of which have sexual assault programs. At American University, OASIS (The Office of Advocacy Services for Interpersonal and Sexual Violence) exists to help survivors of assault or rape, and offers confidential resources for prevention, awareness, and response. However, even at AU, sexual assault still occurs, as it does at almost every university, and college officials shutting their eyes to prevent them from seeing it, such as at the University of Tennessee, won’t solve anything. It only perpetuates a system of violence against women, which in a country that claims to be the greatest in the world is embarrassing and unacceptable.
What no one realizes when they see the statistic on 20 percent of women being assaulted is that this means that one in five college women have resentment in their hearts, and strong cases to stand on in court. In the end, 20 percent is a pretty powerful number, and universities need to get their act together on the subject of sexual assault before they are backed into a corner by it.