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Alleged rape reported at Davidson College

DAVIDSON, N.C. — A new reported case of rape on Davidson College's campus has students concerned about the campus culture.

The allegations come after a Channel 9 report on a dozen reported rape cases at Davidson in the last year.

Students said more needs to be done to stop this problem.

The case of forcible rape and sexual battery happened in a residence hall in May, according to the college crime log, but was reported in September.

"It's just really sad," sophomore Caroline Noell said.

Last school year, there were 16 reported sex crimes on campus including a dozen rapes.

In almost every instance including this recent case, the victim decided not to pursue charges.

"It's actually, like, a huge problem,” Noell said. “I would like to see people held accountable."

"I think there's more every campus could do,” freshman Laura Auberry said. “It's definitely hard for victims to report, but they definitely give a lot of resources to people. It's just hard because Davidson's a small campus. You know you are going to see your attacker around, which is very scary for a lot of people."

College officials said they have bystander training and required courses that address sexual misconduct, along with a task force aimed to strengthen policies and penalties.

Students said they see those efforts.

"People came to talk to us about hookup culture,” freshman Paul Stouffer said. “And we've been over consent so many times, which is great. Obviously, it needs to be talked about."

"I feel like they've done what they think they can," Noell said. "I'm not sure what can be done about it, but I really wish there was a lot more going on."

Officials with Davidson say this recent incident involved a student from Davidson and student from another institution. They were known to each other.

Davidson College statement:

Davidson College takes any report of sexual misconduct seriously, and the college’s education, prevention, and bystander intervention programs have increased student awareness of the resources available to them and of their ability to help others. 

Our goal is not only to prevent incidents but to create an environment in which students feel empowered to seek help.

Experts and researchers in preventing sexual assault emphasize that, as an institution creates a culture that encourages reporting, the number of reports will go up. 

While we see evidence that our education and prevention efforts are having a positive effect, we will continue to seek ways to strengthen and expand those initiatives. Davidson holds its students to high standards. Violations of those standards are met with serious consequences within the student conduct system, as outlined in the information on our website.

The college’s efforts toward education and prevention have included:
     
Bystander training was adopted in the 2014-15 academic year, and more than a quarter of the student body participated in the volunteer course, including a majority of Greek organization members and the entire football team.

  •  All first-year students complete an online education program during the summer, the "Community of Respect" program during orientation and, during the academic year, they complete Davidson 101, an orientation course that includes education on potential sexual misconduct situations they might encounter and how to handle them.
  •  All resident advisers, hall counselors and building managers complete more than five hours of sexual assault prevention training.
  •  A task force of students, faculty and staff in recent years studied the college's sexual misconduct policy, gathered input from across campus and moved forward with changes to strengthen the policies, procedures and penalties for violations. 
  •  Last academic year alone, at least ten campus events focused on prevention, including "Take Back the Night," documentary screenings and the Courage Project.