Korn, Jessica Susan. ANOTHER DIMENSION OF CAMPUS DATE RAPE: THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY REACTION. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, PHD, 1996.

Previous research indicates that date rape is a growing problem especially on college campuses: between 17 percent and 25 percent of college women will be sexually assaulted by either a date or friend (Finely and Corty, 1993; Koss et al., 1987). Because many college women are at risk, colleges are beginning to acknowledge the seriousness of the issue and implement measures to handle it.

This study investigated the campus climate towards date rape by analyzing college students’ attitudes, college policies, college administrators’ attitudes, and the experience of survivors. Descriptive and multivariate quantitative analyses were conducted using longitudinal data collected from over 5,920 college women and from over 3,950 college men from over 75 colleges between 1990 and 1994 to compile profiles of rape-tolerant and rape-intolerant students and assess the impact of college on their attitudes. College policies and administrators’ attitudes regarding campus rape from fifty-nine colleges were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. Nine interviews with college administrators were also conducted. Five survivors of campus date were interviewed to gain their perspective on the experience of rape, its impact on them and on their academic work.

This study confirms that college can shape students’ attitudes about date rape. Certain enclaves of students remain rape-tolerant despite their educational experience: males; frequent drinkers and partiers; fraternity members; members of football and basketball teams; commuters; and students with low levels of interaction with peers. Rape-tolerant attitudes are not limited to students, they are also found to be held by administrators. Rape-tolerant attitudes among administrators determine how a case of campus rape will be handled, regardless of the college’s formal policy. Finally, rape victims will seek help, report and pursue redress despite campus procedures, if significant people offer support.

To improve rape-intolerance on college campuses, the colleges must have a firm rape-intolerant policy that adjudicates a case swiftly and harshly. Moreover, educational programs are necessary to combat rape-tolerant attitudes among students and administrators.