Sex Offenses on the Rise at Penn State
As required by law, Penn State released its annual security report [PDF] yesterday which discloses crime statistics over the past three years through 2012. The results show a drastic increase in forcible sexual offenses from 2011 to 2012, with reported incidents to the Penn State police nearly doubling over that time period.
In all, 79 on-campus sexual assaults were reported in 2012, up from 40 in 2011 and 9 in 2011. This is consistent with a national trend in increased sexual assault reporting.
“Victims often have difficulty reporting a sexual assault for numerous reasons, such as knowing the perpetrator, fear of retaliation, fear of parents knowing about the incident, or fear of getting in trouble with law enforcement,” the report reads. “Despite these concerns, it is vital to report such incidents in order to get help.”
On the other hand, drugs, weapons, and alcohol arrests fell significantly from 2011 to 2012. 398 drug arrests were made, down from 615; 1050 alcohol arrests were made, down from 1181, and no weapons arrests were made, down from 6.
“It is up to each one of us to help foster a secure and supportive environment at Penn State—an environment where individuals can feel safe to visit, learn, work, and live,” wrote President Rodney Erickson. “Primary to this goal are
the principles of responsibility, respect, and integrity. these values are essential to any community, and serve as the foundation for the success and productivity of our students, faculty, and staff. Safety on campus is one of the highest concerns. a truly safe campus can only be achieved through the cooperation of everyone.”
You can read the full report below (statistics start on page 25):
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