Editor’s note: All public colleges and universities have to produce a public annual report to students and employees every Oct. 1, detailing crime statistics for the past three years. All 12 of Florida public universities’ reports were available online as of publication time — with the exception of Florida International University.

FAU ranked third in the state in the highest number of reported dating violence crimes at a Florida public university this year, according to its annual crime report.

The university released the report as part of the federal Clery Act on Thursday, Sept. 28.

Dating violence around the state

• • Florida Atlantic University reported 11 counts of dating violence with 30,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to three counts in 2015
  • University of South Florida reported three counts of dating violence with 16,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to three in 2015
  • University of Central Florida reported 22 counts of dating violence with 64,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to 17 in 2015
  • University of Florida reported 14 counts of dating violence with 50,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to 12 in 2015
  • Florida State University reported five counts of dating violence with 42,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to 20 in 2015
  • Florida Gulf Coast University reported two counts of dating violence with 14,700 enrolled students in 2016, compared to three in 2015
  • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University reported four counts of dating violence with 9,600 students in 2016, compared to one in 2015
  • University of West Florida reported four counts of dating violence with 13,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to one in 2015
  • New College of Florida reported zero counts of dating violence with 861 enrolled students in 2015 and 2016
  • Florida Polytechnic University reported zero counts of dating violence with 1,300 enrolled students in 2015 and 2016
  • University of North Florida reported one count of dating violence with 16,000 enrolled students in 2016, compared to three in 2015
  • Florida International University was not uploaded as of publication time

FAU also reported that from 2015 to 2016, aggravated assault crimes increased from one to seven, incidents of rape stayed the same (5), and burglary counts decreased from 25 to 20.

Arrests involving alcohol decreased from 39 to 21, while arrests involving drugs decreased from 15 to nine.

FAU’s response

Student Government President Emily Lawless said that the increase in numbers may not be a bad thing and could be due to the fact that students are more educated on dating violence and have been reporting incidents more frequently.

“Dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault report numbers may have gone up, but it may not correlate to more violence,” Lawless wrote via email. “Due to education, students could feel more comfortable and safe enough to report the problem!”

Chief of FAU police Sean Brammer said he collaborates with on-campus organizations as well as professors in attending meetings and classes to “present and educate on domestic/dating violence.”

“FAUPD is currently spearheading a Domestic/Dating Violence event scheduled for October 10, 2017 in the Wimberly Library,” Brammer wrote via email. “The event is a live exhibit tackling the myths and misconceptions of domestic and dating violence.”

The University Press reported on a dating violence crime earlier this year when the perpetrator allegedly used a computer chair as a deadly weapon to harm his girlfriend.

The Clery Act’s history

The law was enacted after a LeHigh University freshman, Jeanne Ann Clery, was raped and murdered while sleeping in her dorm in 1986.

Her parents realized students hadn’t been informed of 38 on-campus violent crimes in the three years before their daughter’s death.

They, along with other campus crime victims, pushed Congress to pass what would eventually become known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

Joe Pye is the editor in chief of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @jpeg3189.