We have been writing about campus sexual assaults for over 10 years now, so it makes us feel good that the issue is finally getting some attention nationwide. We by no means are taking any credit for this attention from all articles and blog posts that we’ve done, but are anxious to see if any of this recent high-powered attention reduces (changes) the problem.
To review:
- As many young women as one out of four on the low end and one out of three on the high-end, have been sexually assaulted at some point in her four years at a college or university.
- The assailant is known to the victim in close to 90% of the cases. They are more than likely classmates or live in the same dorm.
- Alcohol or drugs are involved in over 70% of the cases.
- Less than 10% of all sexual assaults on a college campus are ever even reported-mostly because of 2 and 3 above.
Colleges and universities have done a poor job of protecting their college students from sexual assault. We have a feeling that will change with this high-powered attention the issue is getting.
The Campus Accountability Project addresses the deficiencies of sexual assault policies on nearly 300 campuses.
- On average, they received a D+ grade with 80% of the policies receiving a grade of C or lower.
- Nearly 1/3 of all campus policies did not fully comply with the Clery Act-a federal law requiring colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid to report campus crimes annually.
- Less than 20% of all policies provided amnesty clauses for underage survivors who were drinking or using drugs at the time of their assault.
These shortcomings or deficiencies present opportunities for college administrators to make immediate changes to campus policies.
We have long proposed that campuses nationwide insist that these crimes be reported to the local police department rather than campus police who have a vested interest in keeping the crime under wraps. The colleges’ reputation is at stake.
We have also suggested for the personal safety of all women on campus that they carry a self-defense product such as pepper spray with them wherever they go. Female self-defense is a hot topic, and a self-defense product such as a pepper spray can immobilize an assailant for as long as 45 minutes giving young women an opportunity to escape a potentially dangerous situation and seek help.
Any one of our over 100 keychain pepper sprays is an effective defense against assaults, but this Streetwise Keychain Pepper Spray is our biggest seller perhaps because of the selling price of $4.95 or perhaps because it is 46% hotter than competing brands.
This popular self-defense DVD is entitled Women’s Combat is taught by Kimber Johnson who is a lifetime martial artist and assault survivor. It is one of the few self-defense DVDs on the market today that is specifically geared toward women.