The Wiley Handbook of Gender Equity in Higher Education

8A Rating Spectrum for Sexual Assault Education and Prevention at 10 Ivy‐Plus Institutions

Ally Garcia, Julie Wienski, Nicole Cote, and Christopher Silva

Sexual assault is a prevalent, systemic issue on college campuses – nearly one in five women are targets of sexual assault during their collegiate careers (Black et al. 2010, as cited in White House Council on Women and Girls 2014). While women endure most attacks, males are also at risk. Most survivors are assaulted by someone they know (National Institute of Justice 2008). The environment and perceived lifestyle on a college campus can also influence the occurrence of sexual assaults as a large number of incidents occur when people are incapacitated by drugs or alcohol (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network n.d.). This is a problem that plagues institutions of higher education both within the United States and worldwide (Knapik et al. 2008). According to global and regional estimates of a comparative study by Garcia‐Moreno et al. (2013), 35.6% of women worldwide have experienced sexual violence by a non‐partner, intimate partner, or both. Among the regions exhibiting the highest proportions of sexual violence, Africa tops the list at 45.6%, with South East Asia second at 40.2%, the Eastern Mediterranean third at 36.4%, the Americas fourth at 36.1%, and the Western Pacific region fifth at 27.9% (Garcia‐Moreno et al. 2013). Thus, sexual violence permeates national, international, and cultural boundaries. Given these disaggregated ...