Support Services for Victims of Rape & Assault

What is Sexual Assault?

Under Indiana law, sexual assault is defined as any unwanted sexual activity forced by one person on another, including but not limited to unwelcome touching, forced sodomy, stranger rape, acquaintance rape, date rape, marital rape, and gang rape.

Sexual assault is a crime of violence. It is motivated by the desire to control, dominate, and humiliate, not the desire for sex. College-age students are more likely to be raped than any other age group. According to some studies, it is estimated that as many as 1 in 4 college women will experience sexual violence during their college years. While most rapes are committed against women, 10% of sexual assault victims are men.

Ninety percent of college-age rape victims know the offender. An offender may be a date, friend, or someone the victim knows casually.

Rape and sexual assault, in any form, are unacceptable at Notre Dame and will not be tolerated in this community. All members of this community share responsibility for creating and maintaining an environment which promotes the safety and dignity of each individual. The University encourages victims to report all incidents of sexual assault.