Last year, nine of Utah’s 10 largest colleges saw an increase in the number of students reporting sexual assaults — with the total number of reports statewide crossing 100 for the first time since universities have been required to compile the annual statistics.
Experts say the upward trend is a good indication that more survivors feel comfortable reporting to police and school officials. Still, they note, it doesn’t capture the full picture of just how many students are experiencing sexual violence.
“The barriers that we see to reporting are significant,” said S. Daniel Carter, president of Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses, LLC.