The article ("Decrease Seen in Sexual Assaults," Jan. 18) was extremely misleading. As volunteer for the Centre County Women's Resource Center, a local organization that provides counseling and advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, I know through first-hand experience that sexual assault is an ongoing problem in our community.

Most survivors of sexual assault do not report the crime to the police, which explains why the number of "reported" sexual assaults does not accurately represent the number of rapes at Penn State. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rape is the most underreported crime in the country. Furthermore, in 2000 The Sexual Victimization of College Women, a study by the U.S. Department of Justice, determined that between one-fifth and one-fourth of college women will be sexually assaulted by the time they graduate. I am upset that the Collegian printed an article that supports the myth that sexual assault is not a major problem at Penn State. Daily Collegian reporters should understand the facts about sexual assault so that misleading articles like the one yesterday are no longer published. Until the Collegian prints articles that accurately depict the problem of sexual assault at Penn State, the Collegian will remain part of the problem.