As OU’s annual security and fire safety report shows fluctuations in reported sexual assault cases in recent years, experts discuss potential causes of the spikes and police and campus response systems.
According to the 2025-26 report, which provides statistics from the prior three calendar years, 14 cases of rape were reported on campus in 2022, four in 2023, rising again to 13 in 2024. In an email to the Daily, OU Chief of Police Derek Fuller provided more recent statistics, showing cases declining to eight in 2025 and three so far in 2026, as of March 9.
Chart of OU police crime statistics from 2022 through 2026.
Melissa Smith, OU criminal justice master’s professor specializing in victimology, said college campuses naturally include the age group most statistically involved in crime.
“College campuses … have the age demographic that tends to be more involved in crime, both as offenders and victims,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t say that college campuses are a high crime area, necessarily, but it does have that age group.”
Smith noted that sexual assault on campus can feel uniquely destabilizing.
“It’s a place that is a protected environment that students expect to feel safe … whenever sexual assault happens on a college campus, it does lead to a little bit more increased fear,” Smith said.
OU Police Department said its approach to sexual assault cases centers on trauma-informed framework that prioritizes survivior safety and autonomy.
“Officers recognize that trauma can influence memory, behavior and communication, so they conduct investigations with patience and sensitivity," Fuller wrote in a March 10 email to OU Daily.
Fuller said survivors are allowed to share information at their own pace, while officers work to minimize re-traumatization while still gathering necessary details. He added that officers receive specialized training in trauma-informed interviewing, victim advocacy resources and the neurobiology of trauma to better support survivors throughout the investigative process.
“Every report matters, every person matters, and we will remain committed to a survivor-centered approach that prioritizes safety, accountability, and support,” Fuller said.
Psychological ripple effects
From a victimology standpoint, Smith explained that sexual assault does not impact only the individual survivor. Harm radiates outward in what researchers call primary, secondary and tertiary victimization.
According to Smith, primary victimization affects the survivor directly, often resulting in academic decline, difficulty focusing, depression and avoidance of public spaces, including the classroom.
Secondary victimization occurs among close peers, such as friends or roommates, who may feel emotional distress or fear after learning about an assault. On a college campus, this layer can be especially intense due to tight-knit communities within dorms, Greek life or student organizations, Smith said.
Tertiary victimization affects the broader campus.
“On a college campus, because there is that sense of identity, ‘I am a student, this could happen to me too,’ that tertiary victimization is also stronger,” Smith said.
That fear can alter students’ sense of safety, even if they were not directly connected to the incident, according to Smith.
Reporting culture, transparency
According to Smith there is a nationwide rise in cases can be partly attributed to improved reporting practices and compliance with federal requirements such as the Clery Act, which mandates transparent crime reporting by universities.
Smith believes increased trust in trauma-informed policing may encourage more survivors of sexual assault to come forward.
Smith described witnessing OUPD respond to a reported indecent exposure incident and said she was impressed by the department’s victim-centered approach.
“I was very impressed, from a victimologist standpoint, on the response of OUPD that they were trauma informed, and they did make sure that [the victim] got the resources.”
A trauma-informed response, she said, can shape whether survivors pursue reporting or access resources.
“It makes them more likely to go forward with it, to feel like they’re heard, to feel like they’re believed, and to move forward with getting resources they need,” Smith said.
Still, Smith said barriers remain. Fear of retaliation, knowing the perpetrator and a “culture of disbelief” can deter students from reporting. Smith said date rape, which is defined as someone being forced into sexual intercourse by someone they consider an acquaintance, is often minimized despite having psychological impacts equal to or greater than stranger assaults.
Survivor-centered support
Amber May, associate director of OU Advocacy and Education, said in an email to OU Daily on Feb. 26 that her office works to counter those barriers by providing confidential, survivor-centered services.
“Survivors have the right to be believed, to be treated with dignity and respect, to make their own decisions, and to heal in their own time,” May said.
OU Advocates offers a free, confidential 24/7 helpline and in-person support for students, staff and faculty who have experienced sexual assault, dating or domestic violence and stalking or harassment.
Unlike most university employees, advocates are not mandatory reporters to the Title IX office, allowing survivors to explore options without triggering an automatic report.
“Reporting is always the survivor’s choice,” May said. “Our role is to make sure they understand their options and feel supported no matter what they decide.”
Advocates assist with safety planning, medical and counseling referrals, and academic and housing accommodations. They also provide accompaniment to law enforcement interviews, university meetings and court proceedings.
May emphasized that advocacy differs from counseling. While counseling provides clinical mental health treatment, May said advocacy focuses on immediate support, navigating systems and restoring control after trauma.
In addition to OU Advocates’ 24/7 confidential helpline, OU offers campus counseling services and law enforcement resources.
“Students should realize they are not alone and that support resources are available whether or not they decide to file a police report,” Fuller said.
This story was edited by Natalie Armour and Audrey McClour. Kennedy Johnson and Tori Pham copy edited this story.
