The Persistence of Campus Sexual Assault: A Survivor and Sex Therapist’s Reflection on Decades of Systemic Failure
As a sex therapist and a survivor of sexual violence, reading the recent stories surrounding the "Cornell Seven" and Jane Doe has been deeply disturbing. It brought back a surge of memories and highlighted the painful reality that the systemic issues plaguing our nation’s colleges and universities are far from resolved.
Depending on the statistics you read, roughly 5,500 sexual assaults are reported across U.S. campuses each year. Is this really what we should expect for our youth when they embark on college—a place meant for learning, exploring life, and discovering who they want to become? It is appalling that decades after this issue was brought into the public consciousness, these atrocities remain so widespread.
Decades of the Same Unbroken Cycle
This isn't new. In the 1980s, when I was an undergraduate student at Syracuse University—just down the road from Cornell—sexual assault was already a publicly recognized problem. I recall public cases involving football and basketball players at our big school. In the end, very little was done in terms of real disciplinary action.
We demonstrated. We held "Take Back the Night" vigils and spoke out against sexual violence on campus. Yet, despite our voices, nothing fundamental changed.
During my freshman year, a hallmate of mine was walked home from a party by several lacrosse players. They had promised to get her home safely. Instead, they gang-raped her behind a dumpster. She returned to the dorm battered and torn. She reported it. Yet, no disciplinary action was taken against those athletes. It felt then—as it often feels now—that little to nothing happens to the people who commit these crimes.
My Own "Jane Doe" Story
I am a Jane Doe, too.
During my freshman year, I went to a house party with some new friends. I was stone-cold sober. In case you were wondering, my outfit is irrelevant, except for the boots O had on. However, for the record, I was wearing a shirt under a bulky sweater, jeans, and cowboy boots. As I waited in line to use the bathroom, a man—roughly 6'5" and at least 250 pounds—threw me into a dark bedroom and tried to rape me. He knocked me off my feet and overpowered me. I yelled but nobody helped. One man who looked in said something to the effect that I was asking for it. How disgusting!
Fortunately, my Taekwondo training kicked in. I was able to free myself using my knee to the groin and a well-timed boot heel to his ribs that allowed me to escape, breaking one of his ribs in the process. My “friends” had left the party without me, unaware of what had happened. They didn't bother to find out where I was. In an era before cell phones, I had to navigate my way back home alone, upset and injured. I had such a mix of feelings. I didn't know what to do with.
The next day, I obtained his name, major, and dorm location through mutual acquaintances and went straight to campus police to report the incident. They did absolutely nothing.
For the rest of my time on campus, I had to see him and his friends. They would laugh, and he would tell them, "That bitch broke my rib." They thought it was hilarious. I was terrified every time I crossed his path.
Writing this forty years later, the memory is as vivid as if it happened yesterday. Being a Jane Doe is no joke, and the scars do not simply fade with time.
Power, Privilege, and High-Risk Subcultures
While some might argue that nothing can be done to curb campus misconduct, recent actions prove that institutional will does exist when leaders choose to exercise it. For instance, the University of Arizona recently took a decisive campus-wide step by issuing an interim suspension on fraternity activities and intramural events while investigating egregious misconduct—including reports of physical assault, hazing, and severe drug and alcohol abuse. There is a distinct line between college students lightly experimenting with independence and young people being forced into, or exposed to, dangerous and irresponsible acts.
When discussing campus violence, people often ask:
Are college athletes or fraternity members more likely to commit sexual assault?
While individual behaviors vary, research and experience highlight clear risk factors tied to power, status, and subculture dynamics:
- Institutional Power & Protection: Athletes are often idealized as campus celebrities. Historically, this status has granted them an inherent sense of power and privilege, where misbehavior—ranging from failing grades to physical and sexual assault—is routinely minimized or excused to protect team performance or institutional prestige. Research suggests that a disproportionate percentage of campus sexual assaults—estimated by some studies to be around one-third—involve student-athletes.
- Insular Fraternity Culture: Fraternities represent another group with documented links to higher rates of sexual violence, with research estimating that fraternity members account for 10% to 20% of campus sexual assaults. The combination of unchecked power, secrecy, and group dynamics often fosters environments where misconduct is rationalized or covered up.
Women remain the overwhelmingly primary targets of sexual assault, accounting for over 90% of victims. So why, after all these years, are we still pointing arrows in the wrong direction and asking what the victim was wearing?
Systemic Failures: Protecting Perpetrators, Questioning Victims
The complexities surrounding Title IX and campus reporting often result in justice being delayed, minimized, or entirely suppressed. Too often:
- Perpetrators are protected: Institutions minimize disciplinary actions or shield names to "preserve the perpetrator’s future," while disregarding the lifelong impact on the victim's future.
- Victims face scrutiny and shame: Society continues to interrogate the survivor—asking what they were wearing, where they were hanging out, or why they were at a party—rather than holding the perpetrator accountable for choosing to assault someone.
- Public exposure vs. perpetrator anonymity: There is often a voyeuristic demand to know who the victim is, which exposes survivors to safety risks, harassment, and silencing, while the names of perpetrators are kept hidden.
Whether discussing campus violence or high-profile cases like the Epstein files, we repeatedly see a pattern where the names of powerful or protected perpetrators are shielded, while victims carry the burden of proof and public blame.
The Path to Healing and Accountability
One of the primary reasons I became a sex therapist was my early work with youth and teens who had experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. Early in my career during the 1990s, the term "sexual trauma" was rarely used, and many clinicians felt ill-equipped to address it effectively.
Driven to help my clients, I sought specialized training. Over the years, I have trained in Trauma Incident Reduction (TIR), hypnotherapy, somatic approaches, and other trauma-informed modalities. Through this work—both directly with clients and in supervisory roles—I have learned an essential truth: healing is possible. Victims do not have to remain trapped in their trauma forever.
However, clinical treatment for survivors is only half the equation. We must also address accountability and prevention:
- Perpetrator Responsibility & Treatment: True accountability means holding perpetrators responsible for their actions legally and socially, while also implementing interventions aimed at addressing abusive behaviors at their root.
- Shifting the Culture Among Men: Preventing sexual violence requires men—especially older men and leaders—to speak out actively against rape culture and mentor younger men. The resurgence of "good old boys' clubs" only perpetuates misogyny and continues the cycle of violence.
- Institutional Accountability: Educational institutions must prioritize student safety over reputation, taking swift, decisive action against high-risk groups and enforcing strict disciplinary measures regardless of a student's athletic or social standing.
Moving Forward
Decades after my own experience on a college campus, it is disheartening to see the same patterns repeating. But silence is what allows these cycles to persist. We need to do more for prevention, intervention, and accountability!
By sharing our stories, demanding transparency from institutions, and utilizing effective, trauma-informed therapeutic approaches, we can support survivors in their recovery while pushing for the systemic change that our campuses desperately need.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or trauma, professional support is available. We have 5 sex therapy trained therapists on our team in Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Wellington, and Virtual Services in Massachusetts, Texas and South Carolina. Please reach out to our office at 954-900-6355 to learn more about trauma-informed therapy services, or find us at Www.healingcouch.com
Written by Dr. Kay Bloom, CEO, Author, and Transformational Therapist
