Victims may see the event as so out of character for the rapist that they are completely shocked and disbelieving. Although both men and women can commit or be victims of assault, over 90 percent of assaults are committed by men against women. UW is an environment in which rape may occur primarily because over 5,000 men between the ages of 18 and 24 are on campus. Statistics show that most people who force sex are males in this age group. In addition, many young women enjoying the newfound freedoms of college life lack experience in protecting themselves.
Rape can occur at any time and in any place people are together.
Fraternity houses, residence halls, off-campus apartments, camping areas, and cars have been locations of rape in Laramie. Parties with loud music and alcohol, camping trips, and road trips all have been reported as activities during which rape has occurred. Evening and nighttime are high-risk times, but daytime rapes also happen. Rapists and victims are rarely strangers. In fact, assailants at UW have been friends, current partners, escorts home from a bar, hall mates, visiting UW graduates, classmates, local high school students, former partners, technical school students, athletes, dates, fraternity members, and overnight guests.