What percentage of college rapes are estimated to be unreported?

• A. 3%
• B. 20%
• C. 95%
• D. 47%

Answer: (C)

High underreporting of sexual violence on college campuses is a well-established issue. The figure that about 95% of college rapes go unreported means only about 5% are ever reported to authorities. This huge gap exists because survivors face many obstacles: fear of not being believed, stigma, concerns about retaliation, worries about how reporting might affect their academics or social life, privacy concerns, and distrust of the reporting process or campus systems. Because so many cases aren’t reported, official statistics substantially underestimate how common these incidents are, which in turn affects prevention efforts and access to support. The very high unreported rate is the most consistent with research and widely cited in practice, unlike the smaller percentages.