The number of sexual assaults reported to the Dean of Students Office increased from 45 cases last year to 112 this year.
But this is a good thing, according to Tonya Schmidt, an assistant dean in the Division of Student Life, because it means more victims are seeking help —not necessarily that there were more sexual assaults.
""There are so many students who are not getting help for what they need,"" she said. ""We have increased our numbers. At least more people are getting served and getting the resources they need so they can heal. I see the numbers go up and it's a good thing.""
This number increased so dramatically, she said, in part because the university's counseling center began reporting their numbers to the Dean of Students Office this year. Before that point, ethical and professional standards were cited for not doing so, Schmidt said.
But more importantly, greater education about sexual assault in the UW-Madison community has helped more victims to come forward, Schmidt said.
This information, she said, has come mainly from End Violence on Campus, a UW-Madison initiative sponsored by a federal grant. Part of University Health Services, EVOC focuses on educating both students and faculty about the resources available to victims, but also about how to respond when a victim comes forward.
""[Victims are] going to go to their friend and tell them, and the way that that friend reacts to them is going to make all the difference in the world as to whether or not [victims] get more help for themselves, that they continue to blame themselves,"" she said. ""So it is so important that students know how to react to somebody telling them that this happened to them.""
Schmidt also noted that the 112 reports were not all sexual assault cases between UW-Madison students. Some are reports from victims who were abused as children or incidents that happened off campus, in which case the university does not have any jurisdiction to include perpetrators in the disciplinary process.
However, according to Kathy Kruse, another assistant dean in the Division of Student Life, the numbers are not all that important.
""Who really cares for the numbers?"" she said. ""It's about getting the word out and getting resources out there, or helping [victims] understand them. Numbers are numbers, but really it comes down to the individual person. The best thing about coming here is we would never judge any student or question them. We are here to support them.""
