During the first two months of school, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond has logged 15 reports of sexual assault. That's only five fewer than all of last year.
In addition to the reported assaults, there have also been 4 instances of sexual battery -- attackers have run up to women in a public location, grabbed them, and then run away.
In those cases, VCU's police department has made one arrest, and has a warrant out for a second suspect.
Those crimes, though, are different than the 15 reports of sexual assault. The school doesn't typically release details of those cases, but for the handful that it has they've happened in a dorm or private residence between students who know each other.
One possible reason for the sharp increase in reports could be VCU’s outreach. Information on what constitutes sexual assault and how to report has been more widely distributed on campus this year.
Sexual assault on campus is not unique to VCU. In 2014, The University of Virginia had one of the highest totals of rape reports on a college campus. And nationwide, 1 in 5 women say they were sexually assaulted while in college.
