Tompkins Cortland Community College

UPDATED: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health

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Political division and violence at home. Conflicts around the globe. Tense debates over everything from climate change to public health. Not to mention the pressures of succeeding in college and finding a job after graduation.

These are very stressful times for today’s college students. They require parents to fully grasp the serious mental health challenges their students may face and be equipped to provide support.

Cornell University students participating in a campus suicide prevention walk in April 2024

Did you know that the majority of college students today meet the criteria for at least one mental health complaint? Or that there are often wait lists to receive support from college counseling centers, community clinics, and private therapists?

The Sophie Fund publishes “A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health” to help parents—especially those whose children are attending college in Ithaca—better understand the challenges and how to deal with them.

The guide curates key resources about student mental health and lists support services on campus and in the Ithaca community. It also includes advice from local mental health experts, college administrators, current and former students, and parents of students who have dealt with psychological challenges in college.

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)

Rates of depression and anxiety are high among college students. In fact, many students carry suicidal thoughts. Sexual assault is prevalent among college students. Hazing violence as an initiation rite at fraternities and some student organizations is a serious problem.

All of these factors pose even greater risks for students who arrive on campus with a mental health or substance use disorder.

“It’s crucial for parents to understand potential signs of distress, and how to foster trust and open communication to support their child during this period of transition,” said Sigrid Pechenik, former associate director of Cornell University’s Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS).

“It’s never too early to start a conversation, do not wait until mid or late semester. Recognize symptoms beyond expected adjustment, such as changes in mood and behavior, academic struggles, social withdrawal, changes in communication, and/or loss of interest in things that they used to enjoy.”

Failure to understand these realities of college student life today, and to help with issues that may arise, can lead to serious consequences.

When parents do fully grasp the scope of the challenges, they are more attuned to how their student is handling the major life transition from home to college. Parents especially need to understand the risk factors and warning signs for a mental health crisis, and how to support their student if they should exhibit cause for concern.

Help can range from staying connected with moral support and positive encouragement to evaluating and navigating mental health treatment options at the college counseling center, in the community, or back home during a health leave of absence.

Our plea to parents: Even if you think you don’t need it, download and review the guide, and keep it close at hand during your student’s college years and beyond.

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)

NEW: 2024 Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health

thesophiefund

Do you have a child in college? These stressful times require parents to fully grasp the serious mental health challenges their students may face, and be equipped to provide support. Did you know that the majority of college students today meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem? Or that college counseling centers are often overwhelmed?

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)

Rates of depression and anxiety are high among college students. In fact, many students carry suicidal thoughts. Sexual assault is prevalent among college students. Hazing violence as an initiation rite at fraternities and some student organizations is a serious problem.

All of these factors pose even greater risks for students who arrive on campus with a mental health or substance use disorder.

Failure to understand these realities of college student life today, and to help with issues that may arise, can lead to serious consequences.

The Sophie Fund provides this updated guide to help parents—especially those whose children are attending college in Ithaca—better understand the challenges and how to deal with them.

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)

Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health UPDATED

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Do you have a child in college? These stressful times require parents to fully grasp the serious mental health challenges their students may face, and be equipped to provide support. Did you know that 95 percent of college students in a 2021 survey reported negative mental health symptoms because of the Covid-19 pandemic?  

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)  

Even before Covid, rates of depression and anxiety were high among college students. In fact, many students carry suicidal thoughts. Sexual assault is prevalent among college students. Hazing violence as an initiation rite at fraternities and some student organizations is a serious problem.  

All of these factors pose even greater risks for students who arrive on campus with a mental health or substance use disorder. College psychological counseling centers are typically overwhelmed by demands for appointments, and navigating community mental health services and insurance coverage can exacerbate stress. Failure to understand these realities of college student life today, and to help with issues that may arise, can lead to serious consequences.  

The Sophie Fund provides this updated guide to help parents—especially those whose children are attending college in Ithaca—better understand the challenges and how to deal with them. Please email us with feedback or suggestions at thesophiefund2016@gmail.com.

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)    

2021 Survey: Sexual Assault at Tompkins Cortland Community College

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Tompkins Cortland Community College students report being victims of sexual assault and harassment, according to the school’s Campus Climate Survey 2021.

In an initial report on results published on the college’s website, 4 percent of female students, 7 percent of gender non-binary students, and no male or transgender students said that they were subjected to sexual assault in the prior year.

Tompkins Cortland Community College campus  (Photo credit: TC3web)

The college reported that 18 percent of female students, 6 percent of male students, 40 percent of gender non-binary students, and no transgender students reported that they were subjected to sexual harassment in the prior year.

Another in an occasional series of articles about campus sexual violence. For more information, go to The Sophie Fund’s Sexual Assault Page.

The sparse initial report provided no breakdowns by types of sexual assault and harassment, by sexual orientation, by race and ethnicity, or by victims’ class years. The report did not provide information about the locations of assaults, characteristics of perpetrators, percentages of assaults reported to authorities, or physical, psychological, and academic impacts on victims.

According to the initial report, 66 percent of students indicated that they knew how to report sexual assault and harassment, and 45 percent could identify the school’s Title IX coordinator who is responsible for receiving and responding to assault and harassment complaints.

LEARN MORE: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The college said that 397 students completed the survey and that the response rate was 27 percent. The college says that 4,698 students are enrolled at Tompkins Cortland, meaning that 8.4 percent of all students took part in the survey.

“Tompkins Cortland Community college, working with SUNY and community colleagues (including students, faculty, and staff), will use this data to improve response to violence, develop prevention programs, and will continue to study the issue,” said a statement on the Tompkins Cortland website.

The Tompkins Cortland survey is part of a system-wide assessment conducted every other year by the State University of New York. SUNY has not yet published full reports for Tompkins Cortland or other schools in its system. When the full Tompkins Cortland report is released, it will be available on SUNY website.

The surveys are done in compliance with New York State’s “Enough is Enough” Education Law Article 129-B to combat collegiate sexual violence. Adopted in 2015, it requires colleges to submit and publish data reports no less than every other year on incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

Separately, in compliance with the “Enough is Enough” law, Tompkins Cortland’s Title IX office reported 4 incidents of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking in 2020.

Also, Tompkins Cortland’s 2022 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report said no instances of rape occurred in its jurisdiction in 2021, down from one instance in 2020 and one in 2019 both of which were reported in residential housing.

In the 2019 Campus Climate Survey for Tompkins Cortland, 2 percent of survey respondents reported being raped through sexual penetration and 2 percent sexually assaulted through forced oral sex. Two percent reported attempted rape and 2 percent sexually assaulted through forced oral sex. Nine percent of those surveyed said they had experienced forced sexual touching, and another 9 percent reported attempted sexual touching. The full 2019 report is on the SUNY website.

DOWNLOAD: “Be Safe at College” Resources

Ways for Tompkins Cortland Community College students to report sexual assault:

Campus Police: 1-607-844-6511

Title IX Office: 1-607-844-6591

Ithaca Police: 1-607-272-9973

Advocacy Center of Tompkins County: 1-607-277-5000

National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline: l-800-656-4673

Be Informed: Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2023

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The most recent campus climate surveys continue to show unacceptable levels of sexual assault affecting students at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.

DOWNLOAD: Be Safe at College in Ithaca Resources

Among Cornell female seniors participating in Cornell’s 2021 survey, 30.3 percent—nearly one in three—reported being victims of sexual assault during their years in college.

Without breaking down data by sex or type, a report on Ithaca College’s 2022 survey indicated 29 percent of all respondents said they experienced “unwanted sexual behavior” defined as unwanted sexual contact, unwanted sexual interactions, relationship violence, or stalking. Forty-seven percent of those reporting unwanted sexual behavior said it involved contact, defined as rape, assault, or nonconsensual sexual touching.

Four percent of female students in Tompkins Cortland’s 2021 survey said they were sexually assaulted.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a good opportunity to spread education about the prevalence of sexual violence on campus and what we can all do about it.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), which operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, says that college women aged 18-24  are at three times greater risk for assault than all women.

Among undergraduates nationwide, 26.4 percent of females, 6.8 percent of males, and 23.1 percent of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, according to RAINN. (College women aged 18-24 are 20 percent less likely than their non-student peers to be assaulted.)

“College campuses can give you a sense of security, a feeling that everyone knows each other and watches out for one another,” says RAINN. “There are perpetrators who take advantage of this feeling of safety and security to commit acts of sexual violence.”

RAINN provides several web pages listing ways to stay safe on campus.

  • Know your resources, such as the campus health center, campus police station, and a local sexual assault service provider.
  • Put the campus security number in your cell phone.
  • Stay alert when you’re moving around on campus or in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Be careful about posting your location.
  • Make others earn your trust.
  • Think about Plan Bs, back-up plans for potentially sticky situations.
  • Lock your door and windows when you’re asleep and when you leave the room.
  • Be alert in social situations, watch out for friends, don’t leave anyone stranded.
  • Protect your drink at parties.
  • Know your alcohol limits and watch your friends’ behavior.
  • Lie if necessary when you need to get yourself or friends out of uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situations.
  • Be an Upstander and use bystander intervention techniques to protect someone who may be at risk.

To speak with someone who is trained to help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or chat online at online.rainn.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.