Women's group can't accept that 'rape culture' just might not be a thing

When you're committed to perpetuating the myth of a rampant "rape culture" on college campuses, evidence to the contrary becomes baffling.

And so it goes for the American Association of University Women, which analyzed 2014 reporting data from colleges and universities across the country and found that 91 percent of schools had no reported incidents of rape. Most people would see that number and cheer. Hooray! College women aren't being raped in the U.S. at rates on par with the Congo!

But not the AAUW. Accompanying that percentage on a chart on its website are the words: "What's wrong with this picture?"

"When campuses report zero incidents of rape, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, it simply does not square with research, campus climate surveys, and widespread experiences reported by students," the AAUW wrote.

Let's stop right there. Those "campus climate surveys" are the "research" they're talking about, unless they're referring to David Lisak's "studies," which have been thoroughly debunked this year, as have those climate surveys.

The biggest problem with the surveys is that they broadly define sexual assault to include pretty much every human interaction. And it's not actually the students participating who say they are victims of sexual assault; often, it's the researchers conducting the surveys — researchers who have a stake in proving "rape culture" exists and that women are oppressed.

The No. 1 response given by students in the surveys as to why they didn't report what researchers defined for them as sexual assault is because the students didn't think the incident was "serious enough" to report. They aren't directly asked whether they think they were sexually assaulted, because that might result in a much less scary number for the headlines.

As for the "widespread experiences reported by students," well, if you only talk to self-identified victims, you're going to think the problem is "widespread." But if you count the number of victims compared to the college population as a whole, you're going to find out you didn't talk to a whole lot of students.

AAUW believes the reason reporting is so low is that students arebeing raped en masse, but are still too afraid to report. This is ridiculous on its face, as the past four years have been dedicated (by activist groups and the Education Department) to making it easier for accusers to report. How are they doing this? By eviscerating the due process rights of accused students so as to nearly guarantee a finding of responsibility and expulsion.

One-sided documentaries, news reports, laws, policies and numerous campus campaigns have all been dedicated to informing accusers that their word is gospel and that the person they accuse will be punished and that evidence is not necessary.

And if the accuser still manages to fail to get the accused student punished in an environment stacked in her favor, she can go to the Education Department, who will investigate the school and find it in violation of the law. The idea that accusers are still afraid to report just doesn't make sense.

The simplest explanation is that women just aren't buying the whole "rape culture" narrative and don't see themselves as constant victims. Reports are low because rapes are low.

There was once a time in this country where low incidence of crime was celebrated. How astounding that that's not the case anymore.

Read more at: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/womens-group-cant-accept-that-rape-culture-just-might-not-be-a-thing/article/2577050