VOA慢速英语2019 性侵犯仍然是美国高等教育的主要问题（在线收听）

Sexual Assault Remains Major Issue in US Higher Education

Few people understand the issue of sexual violence at colleges and universities in the United States better than Faith Ferber.

没有几个人比费思·费伯更了解美国校园性暴力这个问题。

Ferber began her studies at American University, or AU, in Washington, D.C, in the autumn of 2013. By the following spring, the school was facing a major problem.

费伯是2013年秋季在华盛顿特区的美国大学开启自己的研究的。第二年春天的时候，美国大学正面临一个重大问题。

Messages between members of an unapproved all-male student group were published online, and gained widespread public attention. The messages showed the members openly discussing their involvement in illegal activities, including rape.

有一个未经审批通过的全男性学生群体，这个群体的聊天记录被公布到了网上，获得了公众的广泛关注。聊天记录显示，这些群成员公开讨论他们参与过非法活动，比如强暴。

Ferber soon took action. She formed a group called Students Against Sexual Violence and organized protests. She got thousands of students to sign a statement demanding that school officials take action.

不久后，费伯采取了行动。她组件了一个团体，名为反对学生性暴力，她还组织了多次抗议。有上千名学生在她的组织下 签署了一份声明，声明要求学校工作人员采取行动。

AU later dismissed 18 students for their involvement in the unapproved group. But before that took place, Ferber became a victim herself. In February 2015, she was sexually assaulted at a party.

随后，美国大学开除了18名学生，因为他们涉嫌参加了这个未经审批通过的组织。但在这些学生被开除之前，费伯自己也成了受害者。2015年2月，她在一次聚会上遭到性侵。

She told VOA that, at first, AU officials seemed supportive of her and her case against her attacker. But after the investigation was over and the school began deciding what action to take, things changed.

她在接受美国之音采访时表示，一开始，美国大学的工作人员似乎支持她以及她起诉性侵她的人。但调查结束后到了学校决定采取怎样的行动时，事情发生了变化。

Ferber said AU officials asked her to sign an agreement saying she would not discuss the details of her case with anyone. Ferber's attacker admitted responsibility, but the school did not dismiss that student as she requested.

费伯表示，美国大学的工作人员要求她签署一份协议，这份协议写道她不会将这起案件的细节与任何人讨论。性侵费伯的人承认了自己的所作所为，但校方并未按照费伯的要求开除那名学生。

She then learned that AU had violated Department of Education rules governing how colleges and universities should deal with sexual assault. So she contacted the agency, which eventually led to an investigation into the school. That investigation is ongoing.

后来，费伯了解到：美国大学违背了教育部的要求，教育部管控各大学处理性侵案件的方式。于是，费伯联系了教育部，教育部对学校醉了调查。这次的调查还在进行中。

Ferber continues to fight sexual violence through her work with Know Your IX. The organization teaches college students how to hold their schools accountable. Ferber argues that colleges and universities in the U.S. cannot let fear of critical media attention prevent them from supporting abuse victims. And, she adds, conversations about sex and sexual violence in America need to change.

费伯通过“了解第九条”依然在与性暴力抗争着。“了解第九条”这个组织会教大学生如何让校方负起责任来。费伯表示，美国的许多大学不能因为害怕媒体关注而不再支持性侵的受害者。费伯补充表示，关于美国性以及性暴力的讨论应该发生改变了。

"From a very young age we teach women that it's their responsibility to not get raped or to not be attacked," said Ferber. "That combined with a hesitancy to discuss sex and consent with young Americans, the result is that kids end up at college living ... on their own for the first time, barely adults ... with very, very little information, if not misinformation, on ... healthy sexual relationships."

Some schools are trying to better understand the problem. In October, the Association of American Universities, or AAU, released the findings of its 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct.

This study questioned nearly 182,000 students at 33 public research universities across the country about their experiences with sexual wrongdoing. It also asked them what they knew about their schools' policies and support systems in place for victims.

The study showed that there have been no notable changes in rates of sexual assaults at U.S. colleges and universities since 2015. That was the first year of the AAU survey.

There were some notable improvements. There has been a rise in the number of students saying they understood the meaning of consent, as well as what can be considered assault. And more students reported knowing how to report an incident to school officials.

However, this year's AAU study found one major issue continues: many victims are still not reporting incidents. The number of victims who inform their schools or local police remains low, at around 15 percent.

"Although we've made progress, there is much work to do," AAU President Mary Sue Coleman wrote in a statement. "We now know that schools should continue to concentrate their educational efforts and resources on incoming first-year ... students, since they are clearly more vulnerable ... than their older classmates."

Colby Bruno is the senior legal counsel with the Victim Rights Law Center, which offers legal support to people affected by sexual assault. She said the increased knowledge of consent is a promising sign. And the fact that schools are willing to take part in this kind of research shows they seem willing to take action.

But, Bruno says, the situation on college campuses will not improve unless students fully understand consent – and schools have strong policies they are willing to enforce.

"If a school ignores or if there is a problem with rape and sexual assault on campus... then it's not just a problem for the individuals who have been assaulted," she said. "It's a larger problem for the whole student body, because there is a hostile environment that exists on that campus."

Bruno and Ferber agree that what schools also need is guidance from the government. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Education, under President Donald Trump, changed guidelines established by former President Barack Obama. Those guidelines advised institutions that receive federal financial aid on how to best deal with incidents of sexual assault.

Bruno and Ferber say the changes have weakened support for victims.

Words in This Story

assault(ed) – v. to violently attack someone or something

accountable – adj. required to explain actions or decisions to someone

hesitancy – n. the condition of being slow to act or speak especially because you are nervous or unsure about what to do

consent – n. permission for something to happen or be done

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

concentrate – v. to cause attention, efforts, or strength to be used or directed for a single purpose

vulnerable – adj. open to attack, harm, or damage

campus(es) – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school

institution(s) – n. an established organization