Many accounts of rape go unreported, national study finds

Once a complaint is made, Hoffman said he sets up a prehearing meeting with the accused to allow them to time to prepare for the hearing. Then, he conducts an investigation and collects statements from witnesses.

At the hearing, the board will determine if it is more likely than not that the violation occurred. This includes concluding whether the victim consented to sex and whether he or she was incapacitated at the time.

"A reasonable person should have some thoughts about moving forward with a person who has lost consciousness," he said.

The sanctions for nonconsensual sex range from a year of probation to expulsion and include educational sanctions like writing a reflection paper or attending counseling.

Hoffman said that even if he becomes aware of an incident, he can't act on it if the victim does not file charges with the office.

"If you don't have the cooperation of the victim, you have a hard time presenting evidence," he said.

However, based on information found in a police report, Hoffman said the Code allows for a person who is considered a threat to the campus community to receive an interim suspension until he or she can attend a conduct board hearing.

If the student who is considered to be a threat voluntarily withdraws from the University, Hoffman said he blocks his or her ability to come back before a hearing is conducted.

"Taking back

what's been taken"

Many rape survivors will tell a friend or roommate before going to authorities or seeking help from counseling services. In these situations, McCormack said it's important to allow victims to tell their own stories.

"I think the best thing for people to do is to try to help [the victim] to try to determine what support they need," she said.

In time, Sarah said she was able to talk about the rape with close friends. It took more than two years before she could talk to her parents about it, she said. It's still something she talks to a counselor about.

"It does get better," she said. "There will come a time when you don't think about it every day. [When] you can wake up in the morning and not see yourself as someone who is raped, someone who lost control of a situation and let some man violate her in the worst way possible."

Sarah said she probably always will feel the effects of being raped.

"Afterwards I thought I was dirty, I thought I was worthless," she said. "It really made my first serious relationship after that really difficult. Coming to terms with falling in love with someone and having sex with someone and taking back what's been taken from you is really hard."

Having grappled with blaming herself, Sarah said she is a stronger person now.

"It's given me kind of something I know that if I could deal with that, I could deal with almost anything," she said.