Boise State University reports ten rapes occurred on college property last calendar year. As sexual assault on school campuses continues to make local and national news, officials say these numbers do not tell the full story.
Under the Clery Act, higher education institutions are federally required to release crime statistics reported on college property. BSU Chief Compliance Officer Danielle Berish said that means the data released is limited.
“Especially when you have an urban campus like Boise State where a lot of students live in off-campus houses and apartment buildings and there are parties and other events,” she added.
For the last few years, reported rates of sexual violence at BSU have remained in the lower digits.
But according to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, between 20 and 25 percent of undergrad women in the U.S. experience sexual assault while attending school, the majority of which goes unreported.
Berish said BSU has increased its education efforts, particularly towards freshmen in their first few months on campus.
“That's when the fraternities and sororities are all recruiting and there's a lot of big parties and there's a lot of alcohol happening,” she said, adding Greek and athletic clubs are high risk areas.
The National Institute of Justice reports roughly 9 out of 10 assaults against college women are done by someone they know.
“I think this is going to continue to be a challenge for every school to manage until, as a country and as a society, we prioritize talking about these issues at a younger age,” Berish said, adding consent needed to be taught earlier.
“By the time, at least in my opinion, that students get here, they already have a lot of learned behaviors and so it's really hard to imagine that there's a ton of training that we can do in a short amount of time that's going to completely create a culture shift,” she added.
Berish said the college’s priority is to ensure victims feel safe. BSU provides confidential help and works with the Ada County Victim Services to connect students to resources they may need, such as counseling, escorts, academic accommodations and safety planning.
“If a student or a staff member comes and reports that they've been sexually assaulted, we have a dedicated support person who is going to be their first stop,” Berrish added.
If you have experienced sexual violence or have questions, help is available. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800 658 HOPE or text 64673.
