The now infamous @VivekGRamaswamy ad is repugnant for many reasons and should be retracted with an apology and sincere contrition. One really important reason the ad is so bad for us as a society is that it could make the problem of underreporting sexual assault even worse. For example: At @OhioState, campus climate surveys (2015–2019) found roughly 1 in 5 female undergraduates (about 20%) reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact by force, threats, or incapacitation since enrolling. With roughly 46,000–47,000 undergraduates on the Columbus campus (about half of them women), that prevalence points to thousands of female students who have had such experiences during their time at the university. However, federally mandated crime reports for the Columbus campus during the same time period show only dozens of rape and fondling cases reported to authorities each year—on the order of 0.1% of the undergraduate population of about 46,000–47,000, and a far smaller share of the female undergraduates. Roughly 20% of female undergrads say they have had these experiences at some point since enrolling, but only a tiny fraction of cases are ever reported to authorities in any given year. The gap is large and consistent with national data: most incidents never reach police. Nearly 50 years ago, @amyactonoh, then 12, reported sexual abuse by her stepfather. He was indicted, and he fled justice with Acton’s mother. Court records confirm it. Today, @VivekGRamaswamy’s campaign is spending millions platforming her estranged mother to call her a liar about her past. That kind of public doubt is exactly the message that keeps most women and girls from ever reporting. They already fear they won’t be believed.