Data analysis conducted by The Dartmouth showed a higher mean number of sexual assaults reported at the College than at its peer institutions, coupled with a 99.4 percent confidence that the gap between Dartmouth and similar colleges did not occur by chance.
The data set used for this two-sample t-test consisted of seven years of data filed under the Clery Act from Dartmouth and 133 entries over the same seven years from a data set composed of 20 schools, including all eight Ivy League institutions, elite colleges in New England and elite research universities across the country. The Dartmouth used current student enrollment at each institution to determine the institution’s mean rate of reported sexual assault per 1,000 students.
Government professor Michael Herron, who teaches statistical analysis courses at the College, confirmed that the t-test was the correct test to answer this research question. He further confirmed that the practice of using current enrollment figures, which only fluctuate slightly each year, was acceptable for this test.
He cautioned, however, that there are some assumptions involved with this type of analysis.
Because the numbers cover only reported assaults, they cannot provide a direct comparison of either overall assault rates or reporting rates at the schools, Herron said. He added that by including all of Dartmouth’s peers in one comparison group, the test assumes that the rate of assault reported in the Clery disclosures is the same across this sample. Finally, he noted that since the test pools data across seven years, it assumes that the rates did not change over the period.
Over the past seven years a total of 126 forcible assaults have been reported at Dartmouth. The average number of reported yearly assaults is 18, and the yearly number of reported assaults per capita is 0.0029, or just under three reported assaults per year per 1,000 students. This figure ranks as the highest in the Ivy League — over three times as high as the average across all other Ivy League institutions, which is under one report assault per year per student.
Out of a control group of 19 schools, which consisted of the Ivy League and some of the College’s peer institutions, the average yearly rate of reported sexual assaults per capita was 0.0014, half of Dartmouth’s rate. Among these institutions, the school with the highest average yearly per capita rate was Amherst College, with more than 5.5 reported assaults per year per 1,000 students.
Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson said that she has seen the College’s Clery data but does not believe that the number of assaults is higher at Dartmouth. And director of judicial affairs Leigh Remy said that the relatively high number of reported assaults may reflect positively on the College.
“[Our goal is] to create a culture where reporting would be normative, supportive, and feel like a good choice for somebody — you could anticipate to see our Clery Act numbers rise,” Remy said. “I think that means we are doing the right work.”
Seven assaults were reported to the Hanover Police department in 2011, of which three were investigated, according to data provided by Captain Frank Moran. In 2012, 14 assaults were reported, and two were investigated. Finally, in 2013, 21 assaults were reported, eight were investigated and one arrest was made.
Moran noted in an email that the police could not investigate 28 reports over the last three years because anonymous sexual assault evidence collection kits were received by the police, or because the reporting person declined to cooperate with the Hanover Police department. He wrote that reports have increased over recent years but that investigations often could not proceed because the police abides by the alleged victim’s wishes.
Data collection on sexual assault at the College is further complicated by the College’s commitment to preserving the student’s decision to report an assault, Remy said.
“Right now, we don’t know and can’t define the population of people who are experiencing assault,” Remy said. “Somebody needs to voluntarily come forward.”
David Lisak, a nationally recognized forensic consultant who has guided rape prevention and response policies on college and university campuses, said that the data gathered through the Clery Act reports may not serve as a helpful tool for comparing institutions.
“From a researcher’s perspective, Clery data are not usable as cross-institutional comparative data,” Lisak wrote in an email. “That said, if Dartmouth’s numbers are, on the face of it, significantly higher than other, similar institutions, that should certainly be grounds for a very careful, very comprehensive investigation of the situation at Dartmouth.”
Over the past months, Dartmouth has undergone considerable national scrutiny for its handling of sexual assault. The College has made headlines in national media outlets for struggling to combat sexual assault on campus.
Lisak said that the attention Dartmouth has received does not necessarily point to an especially high level of sexual assault at the College, noting that schools can receive media attention for any number of “random” reasons, like high-profile court cases, student activism or the whims of a prominent journalist.
Students from Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, Williams College, Harvard University, Brown University and Columbia University expressed varying opinions on the issue of sexual assault on their respective campuses.
In nearly every interview, students expressed the opinion that sexual assault is a national problem on college campuses.
Columbia sophomore Zoe Ridolfi-Starr is a member of No Red Tape and Columbia’s Coalition Against Sexual Violence, two groups fighting assault through protests and by issuing policy recommendations, respectively. Ridolfi-Starr said that while sexual assault was a problem at colleges nationwide, she was heartened by Dartmouth’s sexual assault policy proposal released in March.
“This is distinctly different than what we see [at Columbia], in that we see Dartmouth actively and specifically discussing student proposals,” Ridolfi-Starr said. “That’s been for us one of the harder issues.”
Max Nesterak, a member of the class at 2013 at Swarthmore College, said that while sexual assault is a problem at Swarthmore, it isn’t unique to the campus.
“In colleges across the country, administrations do not understand how to appropriately respond to reports of sexual assault in a way that ensures the emotional health of the survivor, the general safety of the campus and the rights, so to speak, of the perpetrator,” he said.
Nesterak reported on sexual assault for his campus newspaper, and his personal opinions do not reflect the paper’s views.
Yale sophomore Michael Herbert was elected Yale College Council president on a platform emphasizing the importance of combatting sexual assault. He said Dartmouth, like Yale, suffers from a problem of perception when it comes to sexual assault.
“Dartmouth has the reputation of being the ‘Greek Ivy,’” Herbert said. “People aren’t going to hear stories about the good things fraternities do — people are going to hear the worst stories.”
Sara McGahan, Sera Kwon and Sean Connolly contributed reporting.
