ABSTRACT
Sexual victimization is a significant public-health concern in the United States, and in recent years, it has gained substantial attention in the media. This chapter provides an introduction to the problem and significance of sexual assault. It discusses the institutional and economic impacts of sexual assault on college campuses. A significant challenge in attempting to provide accurate estimates of sexual assault within the general and college populations is that only a minority of survivors actually report their assault experience. Sexual assault on college campuses has received significant attention and has resulted in a number of federal statutes that impact college campuses. In response to these statutes, colleges have made efforts to increase awareness and implement prevention efforts to reduce rates of sexual victimization. It is difficult to estimate accurately the economic costs associated with rape and sexual assault, however, current evidence suggests that the financial impact is high.
