Ignorance is amiss
I have to reprint what is honestly my favorite (read: most frightening) response to one of my columns. The person's email is first, followed by my response. All in all, I think i went pretty easy on him. Grar.
| From: | [Name removed]
| | Subject: | A question about your column in the 17 Nov edition of the Cav Daily | | Date: | Tue, 30 Nov 2004 15:13:00 -0500 | | To: | ehaspel@cavalierdaily.com |
|
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As an UVA engineering grad student, I spend a lot of time thinking
about statistics and misuse of statistics for "spin." Just as the
folks who "spin" stats about world events, it appears that this
university has a particular affinity for a yet-to-be-proven statistic,
One-in-Four. You have this organization (run by a bunch of guys,
even) preaching sensitivity, blah, blah... but I'm pretty forgiving of
the idealist undergraduate who searches for "issues" to fight. It's a
big part of growing up, so have fun.
My problem is with the continuing statements like yours,
"Statistically, it's true: one in four college women have been subject
to completed or attempted rape."
Is it statistically true? Please cite your source. Professors of
mine have said they have queried the founders for a source to no
avail.
If your response is "well, there's a grey area about the definition of
rape," etc, then a statistical argument is probably not the best
supporting evidence.
To those of us who look at statistics as something other than numbers
to be bent to make a point to the unknowing populace, this whole
One-in-Four things seems like a cheesy way for some over-sensitive
guys to get chicks.
Give me some ammo to counteract the argument that One-in-Four is
unsubstantiated, or at least admit in the same public forum that the
concept of "One-in-Four" is propaganda, not statistical evidence.
Your thoughts?
-----------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Elliot Haspel [mailto:emh9k@virginia.edu]
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 12:31 PM
To: [name removed]
Subject: RE: A question about your column in the 17 Nov edition of the Cav Daily
[Name removed],
I appreciate this opportunity to educate you about the issue of sexual assault. To answer your immediate question, sir, One in Four is a statistic born not out of thin air but rather from a 2000 Department of Justice Study commissioned through the National Institute of Justice entitled The Sexual Victimization of College Women. This study, done by expert researchers in the field, found that “Over the course of a college career—which now lasts an average of 5 years—the percentage of completed or attempted rape victimization among women in higher educational institutions might climb to between one-fifth and one-quarter.”
That statistic has been used and confirmed by such propaganda organizations as the Center for Disease Control, which also noted that “Of all crimes, rape is one of the most underreported, making it difficult to count (Bachar and Koss 2001). The National Women’s Study found that 84% of women did not report their rapes to police (Kilpatrick, Edmunds, and Seymour 1992).”
If you wish to scrutinize the sources with your own eyes, the NCWVS is available here: www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf
And the CDC fact sheet here:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/svfacts.htm
This is not an “issue” for idealistic undergrads to fight, [name removed]. Sexual assault is a plague which affects hundreds of students on this campus every year (UVA Police tend to have ~25 rapes reported annually, which if you use the 84% non-report rate -- or even 74% -- is enormously high). You insult the survivors and everyone trying to make a difference on this issue by marginalizing the threat of rape.
One last point: You have a particularly craven view of humanity if you think that males only get involved in this issue to assuage liberal guilt or “get chicks.” Just as the Civil Rights Movement needed white allies to succeed, so too must women AND men band together in fighting sexual assault. It affects men too – a Department of Justice brief found that “3% of college men report surviving rape or attempted rape as a child or adult.” Beyond that, women are our sisters, mothers, friends; is it inconceivable that some men understand the gravity of the problem and are more willing to do something about it than quibble over percentage points?
You wanted facts, sir, so there they are. I’m glad you’ve taken the time to contact me, and I hope you walk away from this message more educated and conscientious of the world around you. Sexual assault isn’t going away as long as people don’t think it’s a problem.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Regards,
Elliot Haspel
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