Experts Say 110 Reported Sexual Assaults at Utah's Colleges is a Good Thing

The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday, Oct. 07, 2018

Last year, nine of Utah’s 10 largest colleges saw an increase in the number of students reporting sexual assaults — with the total number of reports statewide crossing 100 for the first time since universities have been required to compile the annual statistics. Experts say the upward trend is a good indication that more survivors feel comfortable reporting to police and school officials. ... “The barriers that we see to reporting are significant,” said S. Daniel Carter, president of Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses, LLC. ... In 2017, 110 sexual assaults were reported on Utah campuses.  ... But because the vast majority of assaults and misconduct are unreported — for a variety of reasons, ... it’s nearly impossible to determine how many actually happen each year on university campuses. ... It’s hard for him to believe, for instance, that Utah State University had nearly four times as many drug and alcohol violations as it did cases of rape and fondling, he said. ... “We’ve been revising our policy over the last year,” said Amanda DeRito, the school’s sexual misconduct information coordinator. “We’re trying to move forward.”