“The price of a college education should not include a 1-in-5 chance of being sexually assaulted,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said. 

On a campus with more than 41,000 students, it is vitally important to promote an environment in which they feel safe and aware of their surroundings. To do this, we need more accurate accounts of crimes and incidents that go on around campus, so police and the University can work to adequately address these issues.

Campus safety rules were recently revised due to the passage of the Clery Act. The act calls for colleges to expand their recording of campus crime information to include offenses such as domestic violence.

Reporting crimes, specifically those involving sexual misconduct, is necessary for the overall safety and well-being of students at colleges and universities, particularly because of the overwhelming prevalence of these types of offenses. They occur far more often than we think. The effects of sexual violence and assault can extend beyond physical and mental impacts, proving to be harmful to all facets of the survivor’s life.

By becoming aware of the real numbers associated with these kinds of crimes, the University can take accurate approaches to create both preventive and reactionary measures for sexual assault crimes, to help supplement programs such as FYCARE and services at the Women’s Resources Center.

The importance of accurate reporting cannot be emphasized enough. During the 2012-2013 school year, The Daily Illini reported that sexual misconduct violations at the University increased 45.45 percent from previous years. 

But in 2012, only 12 sexual assaults were reported to University police. A couple of years prior, similar numbers were reported. This remains problematic on a campus with tens of thousands of students, where the reality of what goes on is underrepresented and diminished.

However, reporting crimes of sexual assault or abuse may often be challenging for survivors, considering the number of assailants who are acquaintances of the survivors. As a result, it is imperative that the University and other colleges across the country determine effective measures to help promote a level of comfort in reporting these kinds of crimes.

The University Police are still determining what safety measures will be put in place in the revised campus safety rules, and it is essential to consider the needs of sexual assault survivors so that the burden of responsibility does not rest on their shoulders. 

Universities should strive to reveal the true amount of campus crime and work toward addressing the needs of survivors in more meaningful, effective ways.