Twenty percent of women and 5 percent of men
reported being sexually assaulted either by physical force or while incapacitated.
Students
who experienced
sexual assault
Women
20%
Men
5%
By physical force
9%
1%
14%
4%
While incapacitated
(certain it occurred,
unable to provide consent)
3%
<1%
Experienced both
Additional forms of unwanted sexual contact
Women
Men
11%
2%
Attempted assault
Suspected assault
while incapacitated
8%
3%
4%
Non-physical coercion
1%
Factors associated with completed, attempted,
suspected or coerced sexual assault among women
Often/sometimes
drink more than
should
Fraternities/sororities
on campus
Mostly hooked up
while in school
Factors not associated
Private vs.
public
Large vs.
small schools
Family's
social class
Studying
more vs. less often
Attending
worship services
Mostly living
on vs. off campus
AMONG WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A SEXUAL
ASSAULT OR UNWANTED SEXUAL CONTACT IN COLLEGE
Error margin +/- 10 percentage points
Q:
How well did you know that person?
Very well
Fairly well
Not too well
Not at all
22%
25%
23%
28%
Q:
Just prior to the incident …
had you been
drinking alcohol?
had you voluntarily
been taking or using any drugs other than alcohol?
do you think you had been given a drug without your knowledge or consent?
10%
9%
Yes
Yes
62%
Yes
36%
88%
84%
No
No
No
1%
1%
7%
No opinion
Q:
Did you tell anyone about the incident?
Yes
No
71%
27%
(If told someone) Did you tell police or college authorities about the incident?
12%
59%
Yes
No
Q:
Was anyone held responsible or punished for the incident?
Yes
No
10%
89%
RATING AND DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM
Q:
How big of a problem, if at all, do you think ... is at your school?
Not
much
Big
Somewhat
Small
18%
38%
22%
21%
alcohol and drug use
12%
25%
22%
40%
sexual assault
7%
19%
22%
51%
sexism
7%
22%
27%
44%
property crime
Female students are more likely than male students to say sexual assault and sexism are problems on campus.
Q:
Percent rating each a big problem or somewhat of a problem:
Women
Men
58%
54%
Alcohol and drug use
41%
33%
Sexual assault
32%
21%
Sexism
32%
26%
Property crime
Q:
How often, if at all, would you say the subject of sexual assault comes up in discussions with your friends?
Often/sometimes
Rarely/never
All
26%
74%
33%
67%
Women
Men
20%
80%
Q:
How effective, if at all, would each of the following
be on your campus to prevent sexual assault?
What colleges
can do:
Very
effective
Somewhat
effective
Not too
effective
Not
at all
52%
33%
11%
4%
Harsher punishments
for those found guilty
of sexual assault
Train students in how to identify and intervene in potentially harmful situations
48%
42%
7%
2%
46%
40%
10%
4%
Train students on how to physically defend themselves
29%
50%
16%
5%
Require all students
to participate in prevention programs
15%
32%
31%
21%
Stronger enforcement
of alcohol restrictions
on campus
6%
20%
32%
41%
Eliminate social
fraternities and sororities entirely
(if school has them)
What students
can do:
Very
effective
Somewhat
effective
Not too
effective
Not
at all
68%
25%
4%
2%
Men respect
women more
33%
44%
14%
8%
Drink less
alcohol
24%
39%
22%
13%
Avoid casual
hookups
13%
26%
27%
34%
Women wear more
modest clothing when
they go out socially
Q:
How common would you say this attitude
is among students on your campus?
Very
common
Somewhat
common
Not too
common
Not
at all
When women go to parties wearing revealing clothes, they are asking for trouble
17%
35%
30%
18%
If a woman is sexually
assaulted while she is
drunk, she is at least somewhat responsible
for what happened
16%
37%
28%
17%
14%
33%
29%
21%
If both people are drunk, it can’t be sexual assault
7%
28%
39%
25%
Sexual assault accusations are often used by women as
a way of getting back at men
Q:
Do you think the share of women who have been sexually assaulted at your school is …
More than
1 in 5
About
1 in 5
Less than
1 in 5
12%
38%
49%
All
14%
44%
41%
Women
11%
31%
58%
Men
Two-thirds of students say sexual assaults are reported infrequently to authorities. Slightly more say it is rare for students to falsely report assaults.
Q:
How often, if at all, do you think sexual assaults
involving students are reported to authorities?
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Almost
never
7%
26%
49%
18%
All
5%
22%
52%
21%
Women
10%
29%
45%
15%
Men
Q:
How often, if at all, do you think students claim sexual
assault when it didn’t occur?
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Almost
never
4%
22%
42%
32%
All
3%
17%
41%
37%
Women
5%
26%
43%
25%
Men
Q:
When a woman reports a sexual assault at your school,
how likely is it that she will be criticized by other students?
Very
likely
Somewhat
likely
Not too
likely
Not at
all
11%
24%
37%
26%
All
15%
27%
35%
21%
Women
7%
22%
39%
30%
Men
Q:
When a woman is sexually assaulted at your school,
how likely is it that the person who committed the assault
will be punished by the school or police?
Very
likely
Somewhat
likely
Not too
likely
Not
at all
50%
28%
14%
6%
All
42%
31%
19%
6%
Women
59%
24%
8%
5%
Men
CAMPUS ATMOSPHERE, SOCIAL AND DATING LIFE
Q:
Which of the following best describes you?
I spend
most of my time
studying
I study a lot but
have time for
other things
I study just
enough to
get by
14%
66%
20%
All
15%
68%
17%
Women
13%
63%
23%
Men
Q:
How much of a role, if any, do college sports play in the
social life of students at your campus?
Major
role
Minor
role
No
role
43%
47%
9%
All
43%
48%
8%
Women
44%
45%
11%
Men
Q:
Would you describe your college as a party school?
Yes
No
No opinion
37%
62%
1%
All
36%
62%
2%
Women
37%
62%
<1%
Men
Q:
What best describes your dating status during most
of your time in college:
Not hooking
up or in a
relationship
Hooking up
from time
to time
In a
relationship
Married*
46%
23%
30%
1%
All
51%
16%
32%
1%
Women
41%
29%
29%
1%
Men
(*Volunteered)
Q:
When you drink alcohol socially, how often would
you say you drink more than you should?
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never*
16%
22%
30%
32%
All
14%
21%
32%
33%
Women
19%
23%
29%
30%
Men
(*Includes non-drinkers)
COLLEGE STUDENTS AND CONSENT
Q:
Do you think this is sexual assault or is not sexual assault
or is it unclear?
Yes
No
Unclear
Sexual activity when one
person is incapacitated
or passed out
96%
1%
3%
Sexual activity when
both people have not
given clear agreement
47%
6%
46%
Sexual activity when
both people are under
the influence of alcohol
or drugs
21%
19%
59%
Q:
Do you think if a person ... this establishes consent for
more sexual activity?
Yes
No
Depends (vol.)
nods in agreement
54%
40%
3%
By gender
(51%)
(58%)
47%
49%
3%
takes off their
own clothes
(44%)
(50%)
gets a condom
40%
54%
4%
(38%)
(43%)
engages in foreplay
such as kissing
or touching
22%
74%
3%
(15%)
(30%)
does not say 'no'
18%
77%
3%
(16%)
(20%)
The ‘yes means yes’ standard of consent is well known, and most say it is realistic.
But there is little consensus that this is better than ‘no means no.’
Q:
Are you familiar with the ‘yes means yes’ standard of consent, meaning that both parties must clearly agree before engaging in sexual activity, or not?
Yes
No
83%
16%
All
83%
17%
Women
83%
16%
Men
Q:
In practice, how realistic is the ‘yes means yes’ standard when individuals are initiating and engaging in any sexual activity?
Very
realistic
Somewhat
realistic
Not too
realistic
Not
at all
20%
49%
22%
8%
All
22%
50%
20%
6%
Women
10%
17%
48%
24%
Men
Q:
Which of the following do you think is the better standard to
use when determining whether sexual activity is consensual?
Yes means
yes
No means
no
Not much
difference
34%
42%
23%
All
34%
43%
21%
Women
33%
40%
26%
Men
Q:
Is/are ... doing enough to prevent sexual assaults at your school?
Doing
enough
Not doing
enough
Other/
No op.
the university
administration
71%
25%
3%
female
students
74%
21%
5%
52%
36%
12%
sororities
(if school has)
48%
47%
5%
male students
fraternities
(if school has)
33%
54%
12%
Sexual assault awareness and training:
Does your school have any type of sexual assault prevention program?
Yes
No
No
opinion
72%
15%
14%
Have you received training in your school’s policies and procedures regarding incidents of sexual assault?
53%
45%
2%
49%
50%
2%
Have you received training in what to do if you see a situation
that might lead to sexual assault?
Q:
Since starting college, have you ever stepped in and separated people involved in a situation you thought could have led to a sexual assault?
Never in that
situation (vol.)
Yes
No
28%
66%
6%
All
31%
62%
6%
Women
24%
69%
6%
Men
Q:
Since starting college, have you ever asked someone you thought was sexually assaulted if they needed help or support?
Yes
No
Never in that
situation (vol.)
30%
60%
10%
All
34%
56%
10%
Women
26%
64%
10%
Men
ALCOHOL, COLLEGE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
Q:
While at school, how often do you attend parties?
More
than once
a week
About
once a
week
Once
or twice
a month
Less often/
Not attend(vol.)
12%
24%
26%
37%
All
10%
24%
24%
42%
Women
14%
24%
28%
33%
Men
Q:
How big of a problem, if at all, do you think alcohol and drug use is at your school?
Not
much
Big
Somewhat
Small
All
18%
38%
22%
21%
Women
19%
40%
22%
19%
Men
17%
37%
23%
23%
Q:
How effective, if at all, would each of the following be on your campus to prevent sexual assault?
Stronger enforcement of alcohol restrictions on campus
Not
at all
Very
Somewhat
Not too
All
15%
32%
31%
21%
Women
15%
31%
32%
21%
Men
15%
33%
29%
21%
Students drinking less alcohol
Not
too
Not
at all
Very
Somewhat
All
33%
44%
14%
8%
Women
33%
43%
15%
9%
Men
34%
45%
13%
6%
Note: Numbers may not total 100 percent due to rounding. No opinion not shown.
Editor’s picks
Survivors tell their stories
Read stories of dozens of people who responded that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact or faced an attempted or suspected assault.
We want to know what you have to say
What’s the conversation about sexual assault like at your college or university? We want to know how your campus talks about sexual assault.