Reported Rapes at Gallaudet University Goes Up! Again.

Absolutely incredible. I went back to the The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis provided by the U.S. Department of Education on the number of forcible sex offenses (i.e. rape) reported on the campus of Gallaudet University and found that the number of reported rape for 2011 has gone up significantly!

Compared to last year (2010) and  all the years before that starting in 1991 that I covered in previous blogs the 2011 reported number of forcible rape ( forcible sex offense) is an all time high when compared to all of the reported rapes beginning in 1991.

2011 - 14
2010 - 9 (now changed to 11 in this 2011 report see below why the upward change)
2009 - 6
2008 - 4
2007 - 6
2006 - 5
2005 - n/a
2004 - 2
2003 - 7
2002 - 3
2001 - 5
2000 - 3
1999 - 2
1991/1992 - 1

What we need to know is why has the number of reported rapes has gone up. Was it due to more rape victims willing to step forward and report the incident or that simply the situation has exacerbated seeing more rapes for some reason?   What was interesting was to see a correction that was done for year 2010 and the reason why seen in the caveat box in the screen capture above:

For year 2010 line "c" was changed from "9" to "11" because the University re-interpreted the law for on campus property and was advised by the help desk to merge statistics for our Clerc Center campus with the University statistics.

The University re-interpreted the law for on campus property regarding rape? Interesting if not disturbing. Rape is rape, no?

Just to point this out the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis does not provide information on prosecutions for rape charges. All we see are the reported forcible sex offenses which is a watered down euphemism for "rape."

Last year in 2011 I investigated rape statistics at Gallaudet University up to year 2009 by crunching some numbers and included data as far back during the 1991 and 1992 school year as reported in my 2006 blog piece "Deaf Residential Schools and Other Dirty Little Secrets - Part II of III." Last year I found out what the ranking of Gallaudet University on the number of reported rape for 2007, 2008 and 2009 in comparison to 291 other colleges and universities of similar student population size that have campus dorms and are 4 year institutions showed that the university was in the top 5 on number of rape reported. Since the 2011 data are now available when it wasn't at the time when I did my blog piece on the subject earlier this year in July I wouldn't be surprised now if the ranking on the number of reported rape for 2011, 2010 and 2009 would still be in the top 5 if not in the top three with recent upward changes on the number of reported rape on campus.

With the inclusion of the latest 2011 reported statistics on the number of forcible sex offenses (i.e. rape) on the campus of Gallaudet University has gone up. The 2011 reported number is now the highest ever reported since the 1991/1992 school year according to publicly available information. Why has the number of reported rape continues to go up? Why more rape victims? Could it be that more students are recognizing the importance of stepping forward to report a crime rather than to keep silent because of stigma and fear according to Donna Ryan?

According to Donna Ryan, a history professor at Gallaudet, the insularity of the deaf culture has made it hard for Gallaudet women in particular to come forward to tell their stories. "Part of the difficulty for deaf women in dealing with women's issues like rape involves a fear of trashing the deaf community," she says. In many cases, the women are afraid of being put down by their fellow students for bringing shame upon the university. "The deaf community is small and close-knit," says Denise Snyder, executive director of D.C. Rape Crisis Center. "If you make a fuss at Gallaudet, you've closed a big door."(Silent Screams: a People Weekly report on sexual assault at the nation’s only university for deaf students. People Weekly, June 20, 1994, v41 n23 p36(6)).

The stigma for reporting their own rape needs to go away. I've reported on this continuing problem in several of my blogs over the years and had commenters attack me for reporting this continuing problem in a blog as seen in some of the 45 comments in a blog I did in 2011 on the same subject.

Anonymous said...

can't you just like stop rambling on about Gallaudet? You make me sick. You are not concern about rape.Please leave it to the people who are victim, they don't need you to use them to ripe Gally.

Anonymous said...

I've seen you post many things about Gally, I ignored it, but when you post about rape, it just make me sick that you just had to go there.

Don't make it harder for them.

Absolutely surreal that these anonymous commenters would rather not step up and support the victims and see the problem for what it is.  Those attitudes sound more like a fraternity or "deafhood" type of mentality bent on protecting an image through oppressive tactics rather than lend their full support for the victims and confront the problems head on.

Solutions are needed here. Locking the Gallaudet University bathrooms at the Student Academic Center at night because students were getting raped in there isn't a solution to the problem. If that's how Gallaudet University treats the problem then this is a bigger problem than we thought. How about establishing a year round tuition free self-defense martial arts classes on campus available to anyone on campus and learn how to protect themselves in a potential rape scenario? Volunteer student security patrols? Inform students at freshman orientation to not rape and that violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. What could the possible solutions be to this campus-wide problem?

Students need not to be afraid to report their rape incidents. There should be unconditional support of rape victims rather than to try and protect the institution's image at all costs and to some extent protect the rapists even more so. This sort of thing should not be kept hidden away from the public eye and such forcible sex offenses data should clearly be displayed on Gallaudet University's webpage and easily found. Sadly, this is not the case. Even more sad is when students get raped not knowing the serious problem of rapes on campus.

Here's sobering historical look of how many students reported their rapes back in the early 1990s. Click on this link and read what victims at Gallaudet University back in 1994 had to say. Is this still true today, almost 20 years later, the hidden number of students raped still go unreported?  Has the problem actually gotten worst now at Gallaudet University with the 2011 data being the worst since 1991? Or is this a sign that more students are finally stepping forward to report their rapes and is a product of better information given to students at Gallaudet University about rape and what to do about rape? Regardless, let's see a better, much improved campus environment and security, and that students and parents are better informed about rape statistics on campus. They need to have access to that information readily on Gallaudet University's website for prospective students and concerned parents.

Easier said than done but students should not be afraid to report these rape incidents. And should not fear going to Gallaudet University, either. Each student on campus needs to be approached and be duly informed on a regular basis about rape on campus and what they can do about it and what the university can do to protect students from becoming rape victims and be on their side and prosecute the rapists even more so. No one should suffer and be a victim of rape.

One rape is one rape too many.

Get the word out.

To the Gallaudet University students, you have the power to change this.

Gallaudet University ranked #5 on number of forcible sex or rape reported on campus?

Update: See updated rape figures for 2010 year here in a new blog piece. 

I crunched some numbers on the number of forcible sex or rape that occurred in 292 colleges and universities, including Gallaudet University, that have enrollment figures between 1,000 and 2,000.  I selected private nonprofit colleges and universities that have 4-year or higher academic offerings. Data gathered are on forcible sex offenses or rape that were reported in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  I selected data reported only on main campuses (and not satellite campuses) that have student residential facilities or dormitories. The reported data for each college and university can be found in The Campus Safety and Security Analysis from the US Dept of Education (go to main page to get the required data)

Gallaudet University enrollment is 1488 according to the The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis from the US Dept of Education. For my data analyses I selected universities and colleges with enrollment numbers between 1,000 and 1,499, and another data set on enrollment numbers between 1,500 and 1,999 students. The most current data from 2007, 2008 and 2009 were used to determine the total number of reported forcible sex or rape in the effort to establish a ranking. 

For a complete Excel spreadsheet on the 292 colleges and universities on the number of reported forcible sex for year 2007, 2008 and 2009 please go here to download the spreadsheet I created.

I have found that the combined number of reported forcible sex or rape for year 2007, 2008 and 2009 showed that Gallaudet University is ranked 5th based on the total number of reported forcible sex or rape cases when compared to 291 other colleges and universities. Most of the crimes occurred in dormitories. Not surprising. In 2007 Gallaudet University reported 6 forcible sex or rape,  2008 with 4 cases and 2009 with six reported cases for a total of 16 reported cases of forcible or sex on campus with 14 of them occurred in dormitories over three years.

When compared to 15 other colleges and universities that have a combined total of at least 10 reported cases of forcible sex or rape, Gallaudet University ranks 5th on the combined number of reported forcible sex or rape for year 2007, 2008 and 2009.

There were 153 (out of 292) universities and colleges that reported no forcible sex or rape for year 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Below are the order of ranking on the total number of reported forcible sex or rape cases for year 2007, 2008 and 2009 combined along with enrollment size (in 2009) seen in parentheses:

1 - Walla Walla University (1808) - 60 (note: this has been corrected due to numerical error in database. Walla Walla University had 0 reported forcible sex reported in year 2008).
2 - Warren Wilson College (1028) - 42
3 - Randolph-Macon College (1246) - 31
4 - Amherst College (1744) - 20
4 - Anna Maria College (1589) - 20
4 - Swarthmore College (1525) - 20
5 - Gallaudet University (1488) - 16
6 - Albion College (1738) - 15
7 - Knox College (1407) - 14
8 - Ohio Wesleyan University (1893) - 13
8 - Oklahoma Baptist University (1764) - 13
9 - Wartburg College (1800) - 12
10 - Virginia Wesleyan College (1336) - 11
11 - Colby-Sawyer College (1122) - 10
11 - Lawrence University (1483) - 10
11 - Notre Dame College (1872)- 10

Previous data for year 2006 came up with 5 reported cases of forcible sex or rape at Gallaudet University. The link shown does not provide any data for 2005.

What's disturbing is that only the number of forcible sex is required

On March 26, 2006 I did a blog on the number of forcible sex or rape for year 1991-1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Several years ago Gallaudet University instituted a new policy mandating dry dorms on campus. But even with dry dorms the number of rapes and sexual assaults on campus continues to go up when you compare official reports of 1 rape for the 1991-1992 year and fast forward to 1999 and beyond. For the year 1999 Gallaudet University officially reported 2 instances of forcible sex offenses or rapes. Even with the mandated dry dorms over the last several years official reports on forcible sex offenses or rapes did not stay low. In fact, it had gotten worse in most years since. In 2000 (3 forcible sex offenses or rapes), 2001 (5 rapes), 2002 (3 rapes), 2003 (7 rapes), and in 2004 with an official report required by federal law that 2 forcible sex offenses or rapes took place on the campus of Gallaudet University.

In summary based on what I have gathered:

2009 - 6
2008 - 4
2007 - 6
2006 - 5
2005 - n/a
2004 - 2
2003 - 7
2002 - 3
2001 - 5
2000 - 3
1999 - 2
1991/1992 - 1
 
Despite with one dry dorm (Ballard) and a strict alcohol policy of no public consumption on campus (including no drinking in the hallways and lounge rooms in dormitories) the number of reported forcible sex or rape did not go down. The trend continues to go up albeit slowly over the last several years .

In 1993 Gallaudet University, as reported in People magazine "Silent Screams," put together a task force on coming up with a comprehensive policy on sexual assault according to Dwight Benedict who was at the time Director of Student Life.

"We truly believe we've done our very best," counters Benedict. "We put together a task force on sexual assault just last year."  Organized in July, the task force is still in the process of coming up with a comprehensive policy on sexual assault for the next group of incoming freshmen. It is required by federal law.

Done "our very best" as quoted in 1994?

Fast forward to 2011 Dwight Benedict is now the Dean of Student Affairs and the heavy question today is why the majority of colleges and universities similar to Gallaudet University in enrollment size have done better with ZERO reported forcible sex or rape for year 2007, 2008 and 2009? And yet Gallaudet University managed to rank 5th based on my analysis for year 2007, 2008 and 2009. What happened? Why the number of reported cases forcible sex or rape have stayed high?

And to make matters worse, rape is considered to be a form of bullying as well when physical/sexual assault is concerned by creating a hostile environment for the victim. How many students who were victims of forcible sex or rape who reported the crime decided to leave Gallaudet University? How many students who were victims never reported the crime decided to leave Gallaudet University?

Forcible sex or rape is reported on Gallaudet University's Annual Crime and Fire Safety Reports website for year 2007, 2008 and 2009 but it's not so easy to find it once you land on the main Gallaudet University website. And there are no long term data that are easily accessible on older forcible sex or rape crime information.

What we are seeing on the number of reported cases on forcible sex or rape is inexcusable when compared to the rest of the 291 colleges and universities of similar size with campus dormitories that have zero number of reported cases of forcible sex or rape.  This is a serious problem for Gallaudet University and  need to be addressed more seriously. Would any parents want to send their son or daughter to school knowing the number of forcible sex or rape that have happened over the years and seeing that it has not gone down but up?

But here's a question worth looking into about the possibility that the number of forcible sex or rape might be even higher because when someone scream for help inside a dormitory, no one can hear the scream for help. Or that the campus climate might instill certain fear and/or stigma preventing victims from reporting the crime. Something that's similar to forcible sex or rape that have gone in residential schools.   Considering those possibilities the actual number of unreported forcible sex or rape crimes might actually be higher than what's being reported currently. Food for thought. Yet this is still a serious issue that has not gone away. It has somewhat gotten worse.

Exactly what are Dwight Benedict, who is the Dean of Student Affairs, and other Gallaudet University administrators doing to address this ongoing and increasing problem of forcible sex or rape crimes on campus?

And a final caveat about on reported offenses as seen in The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis page where I have gotten my numbers:

The crime statistics found on this website represent alleged criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities and/or local law enforcement agencies. Therefore, the data collected do not necessarily reflect prosecutions or convictions for crimes. Because some statistics are provided by non-police authorities, the data are not directly comparable to data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting System which only collects statistics from police authorities.

I still reserve the right and to caution readers that not all data are completely or necessarily 100% accurate. This is the best available information that I've come across.

ADDENDUM: Here's sobering historical look of how many students did report their rapes back in the early 1990s. Click on this link and read what victims at Gallaudet University had to say.

Has the problem actually gotten worst now at Gallaudet University? Let's see a better, much improved campus environment and security, and that students are better informed about rape on campus. No one should suffer and be a victim of rape.