Charleston, S.C. – Almost 20 percent of the female cadets at The Citadel last spring reported being sexually assaulted since enrolling at the state military college, according to results of a survey released by the school Wednesday.
About 4 percent of the male cadets also reported being sexually assaulted since joining the formerly all-male school, according to the results of the survey.
“Some wonder why I would release information that reflects negatively on the college,” said the school’s president, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Rosa. “My reason is simple: In order for us to address these issues, we must discuss them openly.”
Rosa was superintendent of the Air Force Academy in the wake of a sexual assault scandal that found female cadets feared that they would be disciplined if they reported rapes.
The state-funded Citadel military college opened its doors to female cadets 10 years ago. Last year, 118 women and 1,770 men were enrolled.
All the women and about 30 percent of the men were asked to complete the anonymous online survey, Citadel spokeswoman Charlene Gunnells said. Of those, 114 women and 487 men responded.
Of the 27 sexual assaults against women at The Citadel mentioned in the survey, 17 never were reported to authorities. About half of the women who did not report assaults said they feared ostracism, harassment or ridicule if they did, the survey found.
The sexual assaults in the survey included unwanted touching, but 16 of the 27 incidents reported by women and 15 of the 23 reported by men involved unwanted sexual penetration or oral sex.
Most of the reported incidents involving women happened in the barracks or elsewhere on campus, and the perpetrator was another cadet, according to the survey. Some of the cadets reported being subjected to more than one sexual assault.
Sixty-eight percent of the women reported one or more incidents of sexual harassment, including sexual stories, jokes and offensive remarks.
Tara Woodside, a junior who helps instruct cadets in the Values and Respect program, said she has been subjected to “comments, innuendo and name-calling” since arriving on campus.
“But nothing I haven’t gotten walking down the street downtown or in New York or Germany,” she said. “I think the spotlight is on the school because a higher standard is expected.”
