With this blog being about sexual assault on cruise ships, we think this is a good time to take a look at some stats regarding sexual assaults in general.  The purpose of this is to raise awareness about what is really happening out there.  Some of these statistics are really shocking.  Today, we are going to look at one of the major places sexual assaults occur – college campuses.

With millions of young people, easy access to booze, and often a party-like atmosphere – college campuses are a hot bed for sex crimes.

Sexual Assault on College Campuses:

• 25%, or 1 in 4, women will be the victim of a sexual assault during her college career.

- Hirsch, Kathleen (1990)”Fraternities of Fear: Gang Rape, Male Bonding, and the Silencing of Women.” Ms., 1(2) 52-56.

• According to the Bureau of Justice, 80% or more of sexual assault victims were acquaintances with the perpetrator of the crime against them, at the time the crime was committed.

-Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001.

• Like the previous bullet point – over 70% of rape victims were acquainted with attacker at the time of the attack.

- Dennison, Callie. Criminal Victimization 1998. Bureau of Justice Stats, DOJ.

• Though the definition of “rape” varies, over 48% of the women who were sexually assaulted actually met the definition of having been raped – though they did not feel they had been raped.

-Bureau of Justice Stats. “Sexual Victimization of Collegiate Women” 2000, US DOJ.

• On just one college campus during the academic year 1996-1997 – there were  35.3 incidents of sexual assault per 1,000 female students  during a 7 month period.

-2000 DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics report “The Sexual Victimization of College Women.”

• -Alcohol use is associated with at least 50% of sexual assaults on college campuses.

Abbey et al., 1996a, 1998; Copenhaver and Grauerholz, 1991; Harrington and Leitenberg, 1994; Presley et al., 199). Koss (1988)

*also of note is that the study included a representative sample of college students.  55% of victims and 74% of perpetrators had been drinking before the assault.

• In a survey, 56% of female High Scholl students, and 75% of male High School students said they believed that forced sex was acceptable under certain circumstances. -Acquaintance Rape: The Hidden Crime, 1991

In many ways crimes of a sexual nature are often leave the victim overwhelmed, embarrassed, and feeling alone.  Considering the statistic that says that a person is far more likely to be victimized by someone they know than a stranger, there is often a sense of betrayal that comes with such victimization.  But, what about after a person has been through the assault, and they seek help -what then?  How do the nation’s social services measure up?  Are we ready to support victims from the moment they enter an emergency room, all the way to getting their lives back together?  Unsurprisingly, according to a new study, the answer seems to be “no.”

A recent study by the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at The University of Texas, headed by Dr. Noël Busch-Armendariz, indicates that victims face an number of hurdles – from the stigma associated with being victimized, to just getting basic help at the emergency room.  The study found that victims of sexual assault often have to wait for hour upon hour in emergency rooms when they go to forensic exams, often leading many to just leave.

So, what can be done better?  The researchers make the following suggestions:

• Make adequate and stable funding available to all the organizations whose missions are to provide direct services to sexual assault survivors and work on efforts to prevent sexual violence.
• Strategize innovative ways to enhanced collaboration and communication among organizations that assist sexual assault victims.
• Recruit and retain the most seasoned professionals in the field.
• Extend accessible and competent services to all victims of this crime.
• Initiate courageous victim-centered approaches to all stages of the process.
• Develop revolutionary educational campaigns to broaden the understanding of this crime and decrease its stigma.

The study focused on Texas women.  It follows a 2003 study which found that 1.9 million adult Texans had been sexually assaulted in their lives at some point.  This accounts for 20% of Texas women and 5% of Texas men.   The 2003 study was billed as the first to really assess the problem accurately, and it is sad to say that so much work has yet to be done nearly a decade later.  At the time, the numbers were surprising, and the study showed that the problem was much bigger than had been assumed.  Now, it is time to take the advice of these studies, and give those in need better assistance.

We recently reported on the fact that cruise lines, with Royal Caribbean leading the way, are starting to look into offering “all you can booze” packages aboard their ships.  Currently, the food on a typical cruise ship is included in the ticket price, as are certain drinks such as juices and water.  But, soda is usually not included.  For a certain fee, a passenger can purchase an “all you can drink” package – which gives them access to unlimited soda.  Now, this same type of upgrade has been carried over to alcohol, and it is making some people very upset.

The International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) is a not for profit corporation which bills itself as a voice promoting safety on cruise ships.  According to their website :   International Cruise Victims Association(ICV) represents victims of crime on cruise ships, their families and friends, and individuals concerned about the problems of victimization and disappearances on cruise ships.

The organization has come out strongly against the new drink packages being offered by Royal Caribbean.  ICV states that they are against the new packages because of alcohol’s role in cruise ship related crimes and disappearances.  They also state that there are no independent police on cruise ships – suggesting that there is not adequate security to handle the passengers that have had too much to drink and become unruly.

In the same opinion piece about the policy, the ICV states that the cruise lines are simply looking out for their bottom lines, not the welfare of their passengers.  Citing that cruise lines have strict anti-drug policies – the ICV asks “After all, how much of a difference is there between unlimited drugs and unlimited drinks? then states “They both have the same effect on a person.”

The new policy brings up certain questions – some of which should have already been addressed by Royal Caribbean proactively.  For example, what criteria will the staff use to determine that a person has had too much to drink?  Will the staff be authorized to cut off a person that they feel has had too much to drink?  How will the cruise line prevent that person from simply going to a different bar on another part of the ship and getting a drink there?  In other words, what are the limits to “all you can drink?”  These are important questions that need to be answered, and should have been dealt with already.  But, as usual, this does seem to be a case of profit over safety.