Addressing safety concerns

Leaders, legislators work to combat nationwide problem of sexual assault

With the effects of the controversial Rolling Stone article portraying the story of a girl who was gang raped at the University of Virginia still being felt across the nation, the topic of sexual assault on college campuses has received plenty of attention lately. Administrators at institutions across the country, state legislators and the federal government have all worked to become more proactive in dealing with the issue.

Safety — White House administration and Congress have been working to establish protective measures for students.  White House Photo

Safety — White House administration and Congress have been working to establish protective measures for students. White House Photo

Liberty University efforts against sexual misconduct
At Liberty University, university officials and Liberty University Police Department (LUPD) are also taking steps to ensure a safe campus.

According to LUPD Chief Richard Hinkley, Liberty fares well when it comes to on-campus reports of crime, including sexual assault.

“Liberty University’s crime numbers are very low in comparison to other universities, even when compared to much smaller colleges,” Hinkley said.

Liberty’s annual campus crime reports show that forcible sex offenses have been reported in the past. This information is made publicly available on the official LUPD website as well as a campus-wide email announcement.

The annual report also includes additional information regarding sexual misconduct on campus. The report, which is sent to all students, staff and faculty, states that sexual misconduct includes “rape, acquaintance rape, sexual battery and other forcible and non-forcible sex offenses.” It also provides a list of precautions and resources for victims of sexual assault.

In addition to the resources available to sexual assault victims, Liberty’s brochure encourages victims to report incidents to university or local police with the assurance that reporting does not obligate prosecution. According to the brochure, victims also have the option to pursue university judicial action, criminal prosecution or a civil suit.

According to Hinkley, the police department conducts active patrols and utilizes Safe Ride, a program that allows students to ride with a police officer at night to their destination on campus rather than walk alone in the dark, to help prevent sexual assault on campus.

Hinkley also said incoming students attend a Keeping it Safe seminar that teaches them simple self-defense moves and gives important steps for staying safe as a college student.

According to Hinkley, there are several ways women in particular can avoid dangerous situations that may lead to sexual violence.

“Some things that anyone can do to stay safe and avoid situations like these include: don’t travel/walk alone, stay in well-lit areas, call if you need a ride or use transit, don’t run alone in areas that are remote, don’t consume alcohol or drugs and beware of putting oneself in a vulnerable position,” Hinkley said.

National efforts in preventing sexual assault
President Barack Obama established the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault Jan. 22, 2014.

“Sexual violence is more than just a crime against individuals,” Obama said at the establishment of the task force. “It threatens our families. It threatens our communities. Ultimately, it threatens the entire country. It tears apart the fabric of our communities.”

In connection with the task force, the White House also launched the Not Alone project, a website dedicated to the prevention of sexual assault on college campuses. The website provides information about national regulations on reporting sexual assault for students and schools. Additionally, the website provides links to data on sexual assault and campus crime at schools across the nation and lists resources for victims of sexual assault.

Additionally, on Oct. 20, 2014, a new rule implementing changes made to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) through the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 was published in the Federal Register.

Under the new rule, which will take effect July 1, 2015, institutions must make a number of changes. In addition to two new provisions regarding hate crimes and institutional disciplinary hearings, several more measures aim to curb sexual violence. These include the requirements that institutions:

• “describe each type of disciplinary proceeding used by the institution in cases of alleged dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, including the steps, anticipated timelines and decision-making process for each, and how the institution determines which type of disciplinary proceeding to use.”

• “include in their annual security report a statement of policy regarding the institution’s programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, as well as the procedures that the institutions will follow when one of these crimes is reported.”

“These new rules require institutions to ensure that students and employees have vital information about crime on campus and the services and protections available to victims if a crime does occur, which will be significant assets in addressing the growing problems of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking on our nation’s campuses,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a press release.

Virginia efforts to combat sexual violence on campus
In recent months, a number of bills regarding sexual assault on college campuses have been proposed. One of the most notable bills would require school police departments to report campus sexual assaults to local prosecutors within 48 hours after their investigation begins. Although Title IX requires institutions to do their own investigation into reports of sexual assault, there are currently no requirements for schools to turn those matters over to outside authorities.

Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Doucette is supportive of the bill.

“Our victim witness advocates can provide timely counseling and educate a victim about her or his options in going forward with a criminal prosecution,” Doucette said in an Associated Press article. “The sooner we can help ease that psychological trauma, the sooner we can help these victims move forward.”

Most recently, a Virginia Senate higher education subcommittee voted to send 10 bills regarding the prevention of sexual violence on college campuses to the Senate Committee on Education and Health with a recommendation that they be referred to the Courts of Justice Committee, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch article. The decision came after a two-hour hearing Thursday, Jan. 22, in which members of the subcommittee said they were not comfortable making a quick decision and were unable to meld the 10 bills.

Though victims and their advocates fear any measure requiring schools to report sexual assault investigations to local prosecutors may discourage victims from coming forward to report the incidents, several lawmakers believe there is an obligation to keep others safe from serial predators.

“When we start talking about autonomy and a person’s ability to maintain control over whether or not something gets reported, you’re potentially putting other people, other women, at risk by not reporting somebody who might do it again,” House Minority Leader David Toscano, a democrat from Charlottesville, said in a News & Advance article.

Brown is the editor-in-chief.

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