Reports of rape and dating violence on campus rose in 2023, according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report released on Oct. 1.

The university campus had a total of ten reported cases of rape last year, compared to seven in 2022. The number of reported cases of dating violence more than tripled, from five in 2022 to 16 in 2023.

The reported cases of rape does not include cases of statutory rape; there have been no reported cases of such within the past few years. 

Cases of stalking and fondling rose as well. There were 11 cases of stalking and five cases of fondling last year, up from seven and two in 2022, respectively.

Reported cases of liquor and drug law discipline, typically much higher than other crimes, decreased last year. The number of liquor law disciplines dropped by more than a half, from 170 cases in 2022 to 77 last year. The number of drug law disciplines decreased from 90 in 2022 to 70 last year.

The report clarifies that statistics for reports on campus include both incidents reported to police and to non-police officials and may contain multiple entries for the same incident. The cases totaled in the report “represent reports believed to be made in good faith but for which no verification has been established.”

Federal law requires the university to publish the report every year. The report is compiled by the Office of Student Conduct, Environmental Health and Safety and University Police.

The student group Two and a Half plans to hold their annual Walk of Shame march on Oct. 8 to raise awareness about sexual assault on campus. The group’s name derives from the statistic from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) that a woman is sexually assaulted every two and a half minutes in the U.S.

Students who wish to report incidents of rape, sexual assault or harassment can contact the university’s Title IX Office.

Data from the SUNY Oswego 2024 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report