BOSTON (AP) New England's largest colleges reported about 40 percent more sexual assaults last year when compared to 2012, an increase experts attribute to heightened awareness of the problem and more victims coming forward.

Reports of ``forcible sex offenses'' climbed to 289 last year, up from 206 in 2012, according to a Boston Globe review of data that colleges provided in annual federally mandated reports released last week.

The issue has received increased attention from the Obama administration.

Alison Kiss, director of the Clery Center for Security On Campus, says the numbers show that students are coming forward and reporting crimes and ``ending that culture of silence.''

Specialists also believe the spike in reporting may be because colleges are becoming more thorough and transparent in collecting and disclosing sexual assault data.