A new report shows that football game days increase college-aged women’s chances of rape by 28 percent.
Researchers with the National Bureau of Economic Research estimate that home games increase rape reports by 41 percent while away games increase reports by 15 percent, according to CBS News.
The report uses data from 128 colleges in the country to study the effect of Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS, college football on rates of rape among 17-24 year old women. Data collected spans from 1991 to 2012.
Researchers were surprised to find that the increase in rape is mainly due to offenders unknown to the victim, which is a far less common form of rape. In fact, a female student’s chances of getting raped by a stranger increased by 61 percent on college game days.
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The report also shows that college football games where there is an upset win increases the rate of rape on campuses.
Overall, the study estimates that football games are responsible for up to 770 additional rape cases each year and that Division 1A games’ annual social cost for these assaults is between $68 million and $205 million per year.
The report’s authors, who wanted to study the social impact of college football, say the biggest factor in the rape-football correlation is alcohol consumption.
