College Releases Campus Rape Statistics

Just under 1 percent of Harvard undergraduates say they were raped during the last academic year, according to new College sexual assault statistics released by University Health Services (UHS) Friday.

The statistics, compiled from a survey of 905 undergraduates this past spring, also indicate that just over 2 percent of undergraduates say they experienced attempted rape in the last academic year.

UHS attempted to solicit information from 2,500 undergraduates and achieved a 36.2 percent return rate. Of the 905 students who returned their surveys, 53.2 percent were female and 46.8 percent were male.

The study, done in conjunction with the American College Health Association, is among the first of its kind. It includes statistics on mental health, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and other areas, which have not yet been released.

Of the students surveyed, 0.8 percent said they had experienced involuntary sexual penetration--rape--in the past academic year. Zero percent of males and 1 percent of females answered yes to this question.

2.2 percent of students said they had experienced attempted involuntary sexual penetration--attempted rape--in the past academic year. One percent of males and 4 percent of

females answered yes to this question.

7.6 percent of students said they had experienced involuntary sexual touching within the last school year. Three percent of males and 11 percent of females answered yes to this question. (See table, this page.)

UHS officials said they do not yet have class year breakdowns for this information. The data--still in its preliminary form--has been released only to peer educator groups, including Peer Relations and Date Rape Education (PRDRE), AIDS Education Outreach (AEO) and Project Alcohol and Drug Dialogue (ADD).

Its release to the student body at large is pending the arrival of national statistics from the American College Health Association, according to UHS health educator Michael Hoyt.

Hoyt said he hopes to release the information within two weeks, but said that national officials have not promised a certain date.

The information was released to the peer educator groups because they are "part of the team," Hoyt said, and the data is pertinent to their jobs.

"The peer groups go through extensive training," Hoyt said. "Peer educators have been involved in the development of this survey."

"It was really pertinent for them to have what the survey was telling us.... The peer educators work on campus prevention of issues in a broad scale,"

Hoyt, who trains the peer educator groups, said they have "greater context" to interpret the numbers than the student body at large and that waiting for the national numbers would allow students to interpret the data more fully.

"Is the data meaningful without national statistics?" Hoyt said. "Yes, but not as much."

According to national statistics compiled in 1988 and cited by the University of Maryland in 1994, one in four college women have either been raped or suffered attempted rape.

Eleven forcible on-campus sex offenses were reported to the Harvard University Police Department in 1999--10 in residence halls.

PRDRE leaders declined to comment.

UHS director Dr. David S. Rosenthal '59 noted that students had been very supportive of the survey.

"I was very pleased that students wanted to take part in this survey," Rosenthal said. "This was a detailed survey with respect to sexual abuse and other health behaviors and really geared to the college population."

The study has been several years in the making on a national scale, Rosenthal said.