There are many different criminal offenses that take place on college campuses. Students may drink while underage or use illegal drugs. Every year, there are reports of robberies, burglaries and motor vehicle theft. There are even cases of aggravated assault and arson.
However, data and reports from the National Center for Education Statistics show that the number one crime is forcible sex offenses. These make up roughly 44% of all on-campus crimes reported to authorities. Naturally, there may be many more instances of sexual assault that are never reported. But in the study that examined these trends, there were 10,400 reports of forcible sex offenses, making them the most common offense by a wide margin.
What options do victims have?
If you are a college student or the parent of a college student, it makes sense to be concerned about the risk of sexual assault. This is a serious issue on college campuses, and these assaults can take many different forms.
One important thing to do is to identify certain risk factors. For instance, alcohol use and sexual assault may have some level of correlation. Students who have been drinking may be more likely to engage in these behaviors, and an intoxicated victim may be less able to defend themselves.
However, even being aware of the risk factors can’t always prevent these assaults from taking place. Victims need to know exactly what legal options they have and what steps they can take moving forward. If you are in this position, it can help to work with an experienced law firm as you explore your options and focus on the future.
