Mark Twain once said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” There’s a statistic running around the GLO social media world and it bothers me on several levels. There are a slew of graphics which tout the statistic “1-in-5 college women will be the victim of sexual assault/violence” – the two terms seem to be interchangeable on these graphics. Another graphic touted that same statistic but used the word “sorority” in front of “women.” It sounded as if being in a sorority was the deciding factor in being a victim of sexual assault/violence, in the same way that the statistic makes it sound like being enrolled in college is a deciding factor in one’s vulnerability. National crime statistics dispute the fact that a college campus is more dangerous than any other place. A college-age woman who is not enrolled in higher education has a greater chance of being the victim of sexual assault/violence than one who is on a college campus. However, that fact never makes it into the graphic.
1-in-5? I am not making light of the subject and my heart goes out to anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault/violence. I think one woman who suffers is one too many. What the statistics don’t state is that in most instances (75-80%), the victim knows the attacker. Moreover, most of the incidents involve alcohol or other drug impairment. Staying sober and aware is likely the best method of preventing sexual assault/violence. Let’s put that in a graphic, please.
The original internet survey from which the data were extrapolated had a 43% response rate from 5446 undergraduates at two institutions. In a December 14, 2014, Time magazine article, the authors of the study, Christopher Krebs and Christine Lindquist, stated, “First and foremost, the 1-in-5 statistic is not a nationally representative estimate of the prevalence of sexual assault, and we have never presented it as being representative of anything other than the population of senior undergraduate women at the two universities where data were collected—two large public universities, one in the South and one in the Midwest.”
Another study conducted by the Association of American Universities, came up with a 1-in-4 statistic. However, of the 780,000 students on 27 campuses who were sent the survey, only 150,000 students completed the survey. The response rate of less than 20% is very low and likely may not be representative. It’s more likely 25% of the 20% who responded rather than 25% of the female college population.
I hope I am not the only one who is questioning these statistics and the spouting of them as gospel truth. I have very real doubts about the validity of the claims. I also take issue to giving wolf whistles, name calling, and unwanted touching the same weight as a rape at gunpoint. Does one lump paper cuts in the same category as stab wounds?
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As the wife of a college professor (the first Dr. Becque), I get to hear his stories from the classroom. When this popped up in the twitter feed, I read the article.
Worth A read – so what do we do? https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201509/declining-student-resilience-serious-problem-colleges
Then I sent him the link to this article about the decline in students being able to handle adversity; he thought it was spot on. Personally, I think it has its roots in participation trophies, but that might just be because just last week I recycled a box of old trophies that were cluttering up the basement. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201509/declining-student-resilience-serious-problem-colleges
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2015. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
