Athlete sexual abuse at Penn State, OSU and MSU may be the tip of the iceberg

A recent survey of 1500 college-educated Americans under age 45 found that more than 1 in 4 current and former college male and female athletes said they endured inappropriate sexual contact from a campus authority figure. Most often the authority figure was a male professor or coach.

College athletes were 2.5 times more likely to have encountered sexual abuse than the general student population.

Coaches were the most identified source of the abuse.

More than 38% of respondents reported being threatened by their abuser. Yet respondents did not report because they felt they would be punished through their grades, team status, or careers if they spoke out. Nearly 30% feared losing their scholarship.

The consequences of sexual abuse are life-changing. Of the surveyed athletes, twice as many abused athletes reported at least one negative life event, which is twice the rate of non-victims.