Acquaintance Rape of College Students

• NCJ Number: 195868
• Author(s): Rana Sampson
• Date Published: August 2003
• Length: 61 pages
• Grant Number(s): 99-CK-WX-K004
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series, No. 17.

Annotation

This booklet describes the problem of acquaintance rape of college students, addressing its scope, causes, and contributing factors; methods for analyzing it on a particular campus; tested responses; and measures for assessing response effectiveness.

Abstract

In discussing the scope of the problem, this guide notes that college women are more at risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women the same age but not in college. It is estimated that almost 25 percent of college women have been victims of rape or attempted rape since the age of 14. Stranger rape of college students is less common than acquaintance rape; 90 percent of college women who are victims of rape or attempted rape know their assailant. Most acquaintance rapes do not occur on dates; rather, they occur when two people are otherwise in the same place, e.g., at a party or studying together in a dorm room. This guide discusses victim underreporting of acquaintance rape, types of acquaintance rape, temporal and geographic patterns, victim injuries and resistance, fear of rape, psychological harm to victims, and societal attitudes about acquaintance rape. Other topics discussed in an overview of the problem are risk factors associated with acquaintance rape, repeat victimization, repeat offending, why some college men rape, alcohol's role in acquaintance rape, the influence of athletic teams and fraternities in acquaintance rape, and legal obligations of colleges. In analyzing the problem of acquaintance rape on a given campus, suggestions are given for asking the right questions regarding victims, locations/times, offenders, and current responses. Process measures and impact measures are suggested for measuring the effectiveness of prevention programs for acquaintance rape. The guide concludes with an overview of various responses to the problem of acquaintance rape of college students. Among the responses assessed are prevention programs for college men in general, risk-reduction programs for college women, the prevention of repeat victimization, police training about the problem, prevention programs for college staff, and programs that target campus athletes and fraternity members. Appended summary of responses to acquaintance rape of college students, 71 notes, 36 references, and 15 annotated recommended readings