Seven instances of rape reported in 2017, report reveals

Seven instances of rape in the Stevens community were reported in 2017, according to the 2018 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report released by Tim Griffin, Chief of Police at Stevens, on October 1.

This number of reports is more than triple the number reported in 2016 — two reports of rape — and more than double the number reported in 2015 — three reports of rape. In both 2014 and 2013, there were zero reports of rape, according to the 2015 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

These statistics on sexual assaults — which is the broader category of rape, fondling, incest, and statutory rape — are reported by Stevens each year, as required by the Clery Act. These statistics, which include other broad categories of crime such as homicide, robbery, and stalking, are modeled from data collected from various Stevens administrators, according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

A report of rape — where rape is defined as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim,” according to the report — is not always investigated, according to Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.

When a report of rape is processed by Title IX, it is up to the victim to decide whether or not an investigation is pursued. If a victim requests an investigation, then Stevens must take immediate steps to assess the alleged conduct, impose interim measures, and determine appropriate courses of action. If a victim decides against an investigation, then Stevens might not take any action, unless it is determined that the safety of the university would be comprised if nothing happens.

Reports of sexual assault are not limited to cases involving students, Griffin told The Stute in an email interview. Some of these cases involve “students and non-students within our community,” said Griffin, “as well as people who have no affiliation with Stevens, but the rape occurred in a location frequented regularly by Stevens students for sporting events or other activities and were reported to an outside law enforcement agency but still within our Clery Geography […] and requires reporting.”

Regardless of whether or not an investigation occurs, and whether an investigation proves or disproves a report of rape, Stevens must report the incident as a rape, which is reflected in the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, according to Klein and Griffin.

The other categories of sexual assault — fondling, incest, and statutory rape — each received zero reports in 2017, according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

The exact reason why the number of reported rapes increased in 2017 remains unknown and might be impossible to determine.

“We can never be sure why the number [of reports] increased,” said Klein.

A possible reason, suggested Klein, is that attitudes toward sexual assault and, in particular, rape, have changed over the past year.

Efforts at Stevens, such as Take Back The Night, College 101 (a program presented to students during orientation), bystander intervention programs, and other awareness campaigns, have been made to promote resources for sexual assault victims on campus. On a national scale, #MeToo — a national grassroots campaign — has transformed the conversation about sexual assault: destigmatizing the process of speaking out and reminding victims that sexual assault happens more often than people assume.

Increased focus on resources for sexual assault victims could contribute to the increased number of reports, Klein said.

Griffin noted that the increased number of reported rapes is not happening at just Stevens — it’s happening across America. “People are feeling more empowered to report sexual assaults more now than ever before,” he added.

With the increasing number of reported rapes, it is still impossible to know the full extent of rape occurrences on the Stevens campus. “Some students choose not to report them,” Klein said.

“There is no way to know whether there are additional instances of rape that go unreported,” said Griffin. “However, research indicates that many sexual assaults are not reported. We strongly encourage our students to report any sexual assault to either the police or the Title IX Coordinator so that it can be fully investigated.”

“We want to be able to support these students,” Klein added. “But we can’t do that if we don’t know who they are. It’s best if everyone reports.”

Members of the Stevens community who feel comfortable can report an experience of sexual assault to Stevens’ interim Title IX Coordinator, Phil Gehman.