The rule of thumb when it comes to rape is that higher numbers (meaning instances of reported assault) actually indicate that a community feels safe reporting and victims feel safe coming forward. Thus, higher numbers can be seen as a positive sign about the environment. Steubenville averaged about four reported rapes a year from 2010 to 2015, in the years before the reporting included male victims and non-forcible rape. With numbers of reports so low, it can be implied that speaking up was frowned upon. It was as if the complaint was the problem, not the violence.
