Despite efforts to address sexual misconduct on campus, the ReportIt program shows little evidence of making Stony Brook University a safer environment.
Angie Epifano, 23, sat in her room clutching her light pastel blue hoodie with tears running down her cheeks, her voice trembling as she recalled the experience that changed her life.
Stony Brook is grappling with an increase in reported sexual assaults. To quote the Feb. 11, 2014 Statesman article, by Ashleigh Sherow, “…there were 17 forcible sexual offences in 2012 – five more than in 2011 and 10 more than in 2010.” Despite the large student body on campus, this number is unacceptable. With a population of roughly 16,000, that means .2 percent of students have reported a sexual assault, compared to New York State’s 304 reports for its 19.57 million people, resulting in .0016 percent of the population reporting sexual assaults.
