Introduction

There is a silent epidemic that has invaded college campuses.  There is no known vaccine and efforts to prevent it from spreading are often met with contempt from college officials.  This epidemic is difficult to track because the majority of cases go unreported due to feelings of embarrassment, denial, and self-blame, leading it to be named “silent.”  The mere name of this epidemic makes people feel uncomfortable due to the social stigma that has accompanied it for years.  However, in order to fight it, we must not be afraid to speak its name: RAPE. 

College officials do not like this word.  In fact, they hate this word because of the negative financial implications it is likely to cause.  Parents do not want to send their daughters away to school if they do not think that it is a safe environment and the word rape does not lead to a warm, fuzzy feeling.  However, regardless of how college officials feel about rape, the federal government has made it mandatory for all colleges and universities participating in federal student aid to publish yearly crime statistics as part of the Clery Act.  Colleges that are in breech of the Clery Act risk being fined and/or losing the ability to participate in federal student aid programs. 

While I applaud the Clery Act, I am disgusted with the lack of enforcement.  According to the United States’ Justice Department Report entitled “The Sexual Victimization of College Women” (2000), between one in four and one in five women experienced a completed rape or an attempted rape during their college tenure.  However, in 2004, the total number of forcible sex offenses reported to the United States Department of Education for all of the colleges and universities in the nation was only 3,680 and number of non-forcible sex offenses was only 38.  Considering that one state college that I researched has close to 40,000 students, these numbers are inconsistent. 

It is time for women to stand up and speak out!  We must take back the strength and courage that was taken against our will!  We must make the numbers match the crimes!  We must stand together and show the world that rape has a face…too many faces!  I refuse to sit idly by and allow people to believe these false numbers!  Go to the link, About Empowerment, to see how you can help in the fight against this silent epidemic.