It’s not solely a psychological toll that victims of rape take on, but also a financial burden. In an attempt to help prevent rape on college campuses, UltraViolet, a women’s advocacy group, released a video yesterday that highlighted the cost of being raped: a whopping $151,423. The total was gathered through a widely circulated statistic from a 2010 study published in the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology. According to researchers, costs stem from medical care, lost future earnings, property damages and losses, and quality of life losses. In addition, the final total included the costs for public programs, which are shared between the victim, the criminal justice system and the taxpayer. It’s important to mention that the 2010 study didn’t focus on a specific college or university, so the potential college/university administrative costs have not been factored in. And if we know anything about the nature of colleges and universities, those costs will only serve to up that total cost instead of actually providing the services and counseling the victim needs. UltraViolet hopes that the video will emphasize the impact of sexual assault by showing the numbers. Shaunna Thomas, the founder of UltraViolet, said, “Whether the rapist is a star athlete or an honors student, we can no longer allow rape on college campuses to continue to be swept under the rug, and have the true costs of sexual assault ignored. … it is critical that students, parents, educators and administrators stand together against rape culture.” You can watch the video below. This is a critical video that everyone needs to watch. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhWdyR7BKs&w=640&h=360] [Story via]