Rutgers: 20 Percent of College Women Had Unwanted Sexual Contact

Unwanted sexual contact on college campuses is proving to be an ongoing issue as Rutgers University released a survey conducted last fall that states that 20 percent of undergraduate women experience unwanted sexual interaction, The Washington Post reports.

"Regardless of the number, it's a major problem, affecting numbers of our students and people all across the country, and it has to be taken seriously," said Richard L. Edwards, the chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Although the Washington Post notes that the results and studies vary based on how the questions are asked and who is answering the questions, a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll concluded that one in five women are sexually assaulted on college campuses.

Along with Rutgers University, the University of Michigan also reported that 22.5 percent of undergraduates were victims of non-consensual sexual behavior as well as 17 percent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Post reports.

Because universities are being criticized for their response to sexual assault allegations, more than 130 schools are being investigated by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights on their procedures for handling such claims.

Rutgers University, however, in an attempt to combat the mounting issue, started the campaign "The Revolution Starts Here: End Sexual Violence Now," a movement for students, faculty and staff to assemble and support one another on the issue.

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