Sexual Abuse Awareness Program recently issued a report to the College community, indicating the number of cases of sexual assault or rape has steadily decreased over the past five years.
The SAAP reported a dramatic drop from 21 cases from in the 1994-1995 academic year to 14 cases in the 1995-1996 academic year.
The number of cases of unwanted sexual contact also declined, falling from 17 in the 1994-1995 academic year to 11 in the 1995-1996 academic year.
The number of cases of attempted sexual assault or rape remained at six for the past two years.
This year, the SAAP acquired data on incidents of relationship of domestic abuse for the first time and reported 12 cases of relationship or domestic abuse
This year, SAAP has put more focus on domestic and relationship violence, shown by the new category in the statistics, said Giavanna Munafo, director of the Women's Resource Center.
"People in relationships on this campus are in violent relationships sometimes," she said. "I don't think it's a rampant problem but it's definitely happening."
Munafo said she included the category because she believes the campus was unaware that this type of violence could be happening in residential halls, and also said it is important to not that domestic violence might be repeated in a relationship.
Munafo said the SAAP may develop an more specific protocol to handle with domestic violence.
"We want to say that we are aware of it," she said.
The new direction the SAAP has taken this year is due, in part, to the leadership of the SAAP Coordinator Susan Marine, who replaced Acting Coordinator Liza Veto at the beginning of the summer, said Assistant Dean of the College Kate Burke.
"We're really lucky to have her here," Burke said.
Marine directs the Rape Education Action Committee, a group of students who seek to educate people about the problems of sexual abuse, according to a pamphlet describing the SAAP.
She also organizes the Sexual Abuse Peer Advisors program, which trains Dartmouth students to respond the questions of their peers in the sexual and emotional issues involving sexual abuse, the pamphlet states.
"The College defines sexual abuse as 1) conduct of a sexual nature which reasonable would be expected to have the effect of threatening or intimidating the person at whom such conduct is directed; 2) intentional contact with an intimate part of the body of another person without that person's consent; 3) sexual intercourse when such contact is achieved through physical force, coercion, or threat, or in situation in which the victim is unable to give consent because of physical or mental incapacitation or by reason of drug or alcohol consumption, sleep, or unconsciousness," according to the report.
