[162] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: Rape@MIT
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven R. L. Millman)
Sat Apr 21 18:27:25 2001
Message-Id: <4.3.2.7.2.20010421182629.030b7d50@hesiod>
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 18:26:52 -0400
To: Nnennia Ejebe <nnennia@MIT.EDU>, mit-talk@MIT.EDU
From: "Steven R. L. Millman" <millman@MIT.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <200104212157.RAA23740@melbourne-city-street.mit.edu>
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Lucky for you, I teach stats.....
At 05:56 PM 4/21/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>I am in serious need of a statistics course.
>
>Nnennia
>
>
>
>At 05:32 PM 4/21/01 -0400, Steven R. L. Millman wrote:
> >The MIT Campus Police, as are all campus police, are required by law to
> >report their crime statistics. MIT's 1999 numbers are online at:
> >http://web.mit.edu/cp/www/anrep99/crime.html
> >
> >It looks like there were 4 cases of forcible sex in the 98-99 academic
> >year. Assume that no-one here is assaulted like that twice (not
> >necessarily a good assumption) and assume that 4 is about average. There
> >are approximately 400 women per class (37%), which means that in a woman's
> >four year career at MIT she has a probability of being raped of
> >(1-1596/1600^4) about 1%. This would indicate that one in 100 women at MIT
> >is the expected number to be the victim of assault involving forcible sex
> >at MIT during their MIT career. This would not include the time they are
> >not at MIT, and because of under-reporting these numbers are definitely
> >lower than actual incidence.
> >
> >They are not individually reported in the campus papers because that would
> >be brutal for the victim. Federal law requires confidentiality from the
> >CP's and the university. The annual crime stats are published on the web
> >and regularly reported by both the Tech and Tech Talk.
> >
> >As for your last point, I'm a GRT and I make sure to talk to my students
> >about rape, especially date rape drugs. I don't know why it hasn't come to
> >you.
> >
> >Anyway, hope this helps.
> >
> >Steven Millman
> >GRT, Next House
> >
> >At 04:59 PM 4/21/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >>Hey all,
> >>You know it's time for a new topic when it's hard to figure out what
> >>people are arguing about.
> >>
> >>Anyway, so I was wondering what people think about the
> >>possiblity/probability that rape occurs on our campus.
> >>I've heard this statistic over and over: 1 in 4 college age women are
> >>raped. Assuming that MIT is 10x better than the rest of the population
> >>(and we know we are) let's make it 1 in 40. Assuming we have 4000
> >>undergrads, wouldn't that mean that 100 undergrads would be victims of
> >>rape at MIT!?! Just 1 is a horrible thing, but 100 is ridiculous. How
> >>come nothing is ever reported in the newspaper? Do the campus police have
> >>statistics? and why are those not released to the MIT
> >>community? Considering how vocal the admin. is about alcohol, why I
> >>haven't I ever heard anything (I'm a freshmen) so far about rape?
> >>
> >>I guess people who have been here longer would have some answers for me.
> >>
> >>thanks,
> >>Nnennia
> >>
> >>-------------------------------
> >>At 04:19 PM 4/21/01 -0400, Sourav K. Mandal wrote:
> >> >
> >> >"Chwanhai H Hsiung <hermyt@MIT.EDU>" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> 1) How do you know what that person's <whom you are referring to>
> >> motive is?
> >> >
> >> >Ms. Smith argues for egalitarianism at any cost, and thus is clearly
> >> >employing envy as her ethical principle. I would ask Ms. Smith if she
> >> >agrees or disagrees with the following statement: "From each according
> >> >to his ability, to each according to his need."
> >> >
> >> >> 2) When did being wealthy become inherently "good"?
> >> >
> >> >In a laissez-faire system, wealth is created, not redistributed; in a
> >> >mixed-economy system with a strong rule of law (i.e. the US), the same
> >> >holds except for certain powerful special interests (e.g., retirees,
> >> >the farm lobby) and government bureaucrats. Hence, anyone who creates
> >> >wealth, for one's self and one's creditors/investors, is doing so by
> >> >providing a service that people are willing to pay for. Thus, wealth
> >> >is born of achievement, and is a Good Thing (tm).
> >> >
> >> >> So is asking people to be courteous and nice to other people just as
> >> improper
> >> >> as paying taxes? [...]
> >> >
> >> >It's wrong to make people "act nice," but it's not improper to prevent
> >> >harm, committed via thievery, violence, or fraud.
> >> >
> >> >> [...] I'm essentially advocating stealing time and brainspace fr
> >> >> om "innocent" people, which, as the maxim goes, is at least as
> >> valuable as co
> >> >> ld hard cash.
> >> >
> >> >Um, what do you mean? By posting this message? People can choose to
> >> >not read, or not respond if they do. As far as I know, the IRS gets
> >> >displeased if you politely decline to pay your taxes.
> >> >
> >> >> Please, do not be so vehement about someone's faults and then commit
> >> them you
> >> >> rself. <I know, we're all fallible, but do try to keep it to a
> >> minimum.>
> >> >
> >> >It's justifiable to denounce someone for faults that are real, though
> >> >such denunciation might be counterproductive in the context of a
> >> >multi-party discussion.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Regards,
> >> >
> >> >Sourav
> >
