Rutgers sees increase in reported sexual assaults

The 2016 Safety Matters Report reveals a general increase in rape cases from 2013 to 2015 compared to the previous 2015 Safety Matters Report by the Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD), which included cases between 2011 and 2013. 

In 2015, there were a total of 31 reported rape cases and 15 cases of fondling. While the number of rape cases from 2015 is slightly lower than 2014, it is higher than previous years.

In 2011, there were 3 reported cases of rape. Ten were reported in 2012 and 18 in 2013, according to the 2015 Safety Matters Report.

Rutgers University Police Department Captain Paul Fischer said that there was a 21 percent decrease in Clery sexual offenses from 2015 to 2014 for the New Brunswick campus.

The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding prepare, publish and distribute campus security policies and crime statistics by Oct. 1 of each year, according to RUPD’s website.

“These numbers reflect incidents reported directly to the Police Department as well as those reported to Campus Safety Authorities,” Fischer said.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Felicia McGinty said the increase in cases since the last report can be linked to overall awareness.

“The most likely rationale for the increase of reports of sexual assault on the New Brunswick campus is that there is increased awareness about resources available to students and the issue of sexual violence,” McGinty said in an email.

The Rutgers Division of Student Affairs launched a large-scale sexual violence awareness campaign in 2014 entitled “The Revolution Starts Here: End Sexual Violence,” after the results of an #iSpeak Survey revealed that “there was room for improvement” in educating students about their options and resources available on campus, McGinty said.

The campaign includes an increase in programming and awareness, which often leads to an increase in reporting to law enforcement, campus officials and victim services, she said.

In the 2015 Safety Matters Report, rape or attempted rape was in two separate categories, “Stranger” and “Acquaintance.” The 2016 report has no such differentiation.

Between 2011 and 2013, only one rape case was reported to have been committed by a stranger – every other case reported was committed by an acquaintance, according to the 2015 Report.

RU Alerts are not frequently sent in regard to sexual harassment and rape cases because of the nature of the crime, McGinty said.

"One consideration when it comes to sexual violence is that it is most frequently committed by a person known to the victim,” McGinty said. “Typically, alerts are sent to students when there is an ongoing threat to the community. So, if there is an unknown or apprehended suspect, that would be a time that an alert would be sent.”

The Rutgers University Police Department works with the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Violence Prevention and Victims’ Assistance (VPVA) when investigating sexual assault cases, Fischer said.

According to a June 2016 Huffington Post article, Rutgers University—New Brunswick was being investigated for Title IX investigations. The investigation began July 28, 2015.

“Major educational institutions – including … Rutgers University … – have escaped public scrutiny because Title IX investigations into their actions haven’t been highlighted by the government of the schools themselves,” wrote Tyler Kingkade, a Huffington Post reporter.

Schools that are being investigated for allegedly mishandling harassment cases do not appear on the lists regularly given to reporters by the Education Department, as most do not receive publicity unless they specifically deal with sexual assault, according to the article.

McGinty said that Rutgers is not currently being investigated by the Office for Civil Rights under Title IX.

“The two most recent highlights to our national recognition as a leader in the anti-sexual violence movement is the fact that we were listed in the Not Alone White House report on Campus Sexual Violence in 2014,” she said.

Rutgers was asked by the White House to pilot the Campus Climate Survey the same year, she said.

“Certainly the large scale efforts in our own campus community coupled with the national attention and dialogue around sexual violence can account for the increase in reporting rates,” McGinty said.

Alexandra DeMatos is a School of Arts and Sciences junior double-majoring in journalism and media studies and women's and gender studies. She is the copy editor of The Daily Targum.