Princeton Sexual Assault Statistics Leaked

The issue of sexual assault at Harvard has received increased attention in recent months. Recently leaked statistics from Princeton show that this rising concern about sexual assault extends to other Ivy League universities, too.

In a 2008 survey, the results of which were released by The Daily Princetonian this week, one in six female undergraduates at Princeton reported that they had experienced non-consensual vaginal penetration during their time at the University. According to the article in The Daily Princetonian, it remains unclear just why the survey was never published. But one administrator claimed that because the data was consistent with the national average of one in five women being raped during their college years, the administration likely did not want to draw unwanted attention to the issue.

Amanda Sandoval, Director of Princeton's Women's Center, told The Daily Princetonian that the survey results were "not anything unexpected," and that releasing the numbers would have caused unneccessary media attention, especially given that none of Princeton's peer institutions have published similar data. Indeed, other Ivy League administrators seem to have either neglected to conduct surveys about sexual assault or have allowed them to go unpublished.

As Harvard and its peer institutions look to combat sexual assault on campus, disturbing numbers like these ensure that a bright spotlight will continue to be shone on these issues.