Title: Chapter 7: Promoting Safety and Nonviolence on College and University Campuses Series: Toolkit To End Violence Against Women Author: Violence Against Women Office Published: October 2001 Subject: Promoting Safety and Nonviolence on College and University Campuses 17 pages 36,864 bytes ---------------------------- Chapter 7: Promoting Safety and Nonviolence on College and University Campuses What College and University Campuses Can Do To Make a Difference o Institutionalize a campuswide response to violence against women. Develop policies to guide responses to sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking, and provide information concerning student rights and responsibilities. o Create an interdisciplinary task force to address violence against women. Secure representation from the administration, faculty, students, campus security, and local victim advocacy programs to ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing campus violence. Expand participation as appropriate. o Establish a fair campus adjudication process. Educate adjudication boards and assess current procedures for attention to victims' rights, safety concerns, and fears of participating in the campus judicial process. o Administer sanctions for perpetrators that convey the seriousness of the offense. Publicize sanctions to communicate the unacceptability of violence against women and consistently enforce sanctions to ensure offender accountability and victim and community safety. o Invest in comprehensive and accessible on-campus and community services to victims. Tailor victim services to address victims' need for advocacy from campus personnel and counseling support services. o Provide training on violence against women for all campus law enforcement. Develop campus police investigation skills to build cases that corroborate or eliminate the need for victim testimony. o Form partnerships with local victim service programs and criminal justice agencies. Design collaborative programs to enhance responses to violence against women on campus. o Highlight men's ability and responsibility to prevent violence against women. Provide male students with information on the prevalence and unacceptability of acquaintance rape and other forms of violence against women on college campuses and the situations and circumstances that foster nonconsensual sexual conduct. o Enlist men in education efforts. Urge men to organize other men in antiviolence efforts and teach them to encourage innocent bystanders to intervene safely to support victims. o Participate in full disclosure of campus crime data reports. Fully comply with provisions of the Campus Security Act. -------------------------------- Promoting Safety and Nonviolence on College and University Campuses College and university campuses traditionally have provided a special environment in which young people can explore new ideas and learn about the world. One of the most important lessons that institutions of higher education can communicate to all students is that violence against women will not be tolerated. Creating a safe and supportive campus community is both an obligation and a challenge for college and university administrators, faculty and staff, other campus personnel, and students. Sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking are serious problems on college and university campuses. College-age women are at high risk for all forms of violence against women. More than one-half of all stalking victims are between 18 and 29 years old[1] and the highest rate of intimate partner violence is among women ages 16 to 24.[2] Sexual assault is the second most common violent crime committed on college campuses; most perpetrators are students known by the victim. One-half of these sexual assaults occur in the victim's residence and an additional one-third take place in off-campus student housing such as fraternities.[3] While current national attention focuses on the use of "rape drugs" to facilitate sexual assault, alcohol continues to play an important role in campus-related assaults.[4] Excessive use of alcohol on college campuses has also been linked to increased risk of violence against women, although alcohol use is not the cause of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking.[5] Although not the focus of this discussion, sexual harassment, a serious form of sex discrimination that can include sexual assault, remains a significant problem within college campus environments. Sexual assault and other forms of violence against women in the general population are known to be seriously underreported, indicating that the problem is even more acute than available data suggest. This may be particularly true for violence against women on college and university campuses, with an estimated 81 percent of on-campus and 84 percent of off-campus sexual assaults not reported to the police.[6] And unlike their counterparts in the larger community, women students victimized by other students often face challenges specific to a "closed" campus environment. Given the unique and progressive nature of many stalking cases, student victims are often unaware or unsure when they are being stalked or they may have difficulty convincing others that there is a problem. The stalker may have seemingly "legitimate" reasons for remaining in contact with or in proximity to the victim in class, the dining hall, or the library. Victims of sexual assault or dating violence may continue to encounter their assailants in residence halls or at campus events. Even changing one's living arrangements or class schedule may not eliminate the threat or additional trauma caused by ongoing contact. In response to these disturbing realities, an increasing number of residential and community colleges are implementing campuswide responses to violence against women designed to coordinate victim services, campus law enforcement, health services, campus housing, student organizations, and disciplinary boards. Education and prevention initiatives that shift norms, attitudes, and beliefs about violence against women are also critical components of a comprehensive strategy, as are capital improvements and risk reduction efforts. Effective intervention and prevention programs stress perpetrator accountability for sexual and physical violence; call attention to bystander behavior; highlight the prevalence and impact of acquaintance rape, dating and domestic violence, and stalking; and clearly define the role that campus communities can play in ending violence against women. While sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking have implications for campus and student life, they often involve criminal acts that also necessitate the involvement of the criminal justice system. Campus adjudication procedures are critical for increasing the safety and security of women on campus but cannot substitute for criminal investigation or prosecution. Effective campus adjudication procedures complement other legal system processes. Ideally both options will be available to victims of sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking. The most successful responses link campus efforts with local criminal justice agencies and community-based sexual assault and domestic violence programs. The federal Campus Security Act provides important guidelines for collecting and reporting data on campus sexual assaults. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 provisions offer guidance and mandates related to preventing, redressing, and eliminating sexual harassment by students or school employees. Campus communities can influence large-scale social change by fully complying with the Campus Security Act and Title IX, adopting comprehensive policies that treat violence against women as serious offenses, and developing interventions that prioritize victim safety, offender accountability, and prevention. Failure to address violence against women on college campuses may not only result in institutional liability but also send the dangerous message that certain forms of violence are not serious and, therefore, are acceptable. Outlined below are specific actions that institutions of higher education, college administrators and staff, student organizations, on-campus and off-campus law enforcement agencies and victim service providers, adjudication board members, victim advocates, and related organizations can take to promote safety and nonviolence on their campuses. A Safe and Supportive Campus Community Enhance Women's Safety and Well-Being on Campus 1. Establish an interdisciplinary, campuswide violence against women task force to develop policies and oversee antiviolence efforts, including the periodic evaluation of those efforts. o Secure representation from every sector of campus life, including administrators, health care and mental health professionals, faculty, and students, as well as experts from community-based sexual assault and domestic violence programs. o Provide comprehensive training about violence against women to all task force members. o Arrange regular task force meetings to develop short- and long-term plans for addressing violence against women on campus and oversee their implementation. o Periodically evaluate campuswide antiviolence efforts and use findings to enhance intervention and prevention initiatives. 2. Develop and distribute clear, concise, and comprehensive written policies and procedures regarding appropriate behavior by students with respect to violence against women. o Develop and disseminate a campus code of conduct, including descriptions of expected behavior and responsibilities of the entire campus community. o Require consistent enforcement of the campus code of conduct. o Provide clear definitions of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking that are consistent with state criminal statutes. o Articulate clearly that sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking will not be tolerated. o Describe procedures for reporting incidents (including steps that take place after a report is filed) and protecting the victim's rights throughout the process. o Detail services available on and off campus. o Outline options for pursuing justice and enhancing safety on campus through community-based service providers and the criminal justice system. o Disseminate policies every academic year to all students (new and returning), faculty, staff, parents of students, campus organizations, counseling centers, health care centers, residence halls, and trustees. o Publish campus policies in student handbooks, residence life guidelines, and through campus media such as the student newspaper, and post information on policies in appropriate public places. o Share information with other campuses regarding policies, training programs, and effective practices for providing services to victims and holding offenders accountable. 3. Educate students, faculty, and staff about the problem of violence against women. o Provide information on the prevalence of acquaintance rape and other forms of violence against women on college campuses, including the situations and circumstances that foster nonconsensual sexual conduct. o Offer special programs that educate all students about the warning signs that may signal risks to a student's safety, behaviors that constitute stalking, and appropriate response strategies. o Focus on the role of bystanders, including strategies students can use to prevent violence against women, address or challenge perpetrator behavior, identify and assist a victim, and make appropriate referrals. o Highlight men's responsibility to prevent violence, especially in programs designed for all-male groups such as fraternities or athletic groups. o Reduce victim blaming and promote perpetrator accountability by challenging widely held misconceptions about sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. o Provide information on the role of alcohol and other drugs, including "rape drugs" such as Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) and GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), in sexual assault and dating violence in a manner that does not promote the myth that alcohol consumption causes or excuses violent or abusive behavior. o Share information about faculty-student dating and the potential link between and ramifications of power imbalances and sexual harassment or sexual assault. o Involve advocates from local sexual assault and domestic violence programs in the design and implementation of training and education programs. 4. Use a variety of outreach strategies to support educational efforts. o Incorporate discussion of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking into orientation programs and materials for all incoming students with an emphasis on reaching young students, international students, and others who might be unfamiliar with campus laws, policies, and procedures. o Integrate prevention education into relevant core curriculum classes, classes on criminal justice and victimology, and academic discourse. o Disseminate prevention materials and messages through student newspapers, e-mail announcements, campus radio stations, posters, and similar mechanisms. o Use common space (such as the student union, campus library, and dormitories) for widely publicized all-campus events about sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. o Invite college or university presidents, members of the board of trustees, prominent alumni, and other influential figures to speak out against sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. o Design peer educator programs to conduct outreach to students and specific groups, including fraternities, athletic clubs, or religious groups. o Reach out to marginalized communities that are less likely to access campus services, including students of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students; and students with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities. o Use various points of access, such as international groups, churches, and childcare facilities, to reach international students, commuting students, and partners or spouses of students. o Distribute materials on antiviolence programs to prospective students. 5. Provide adequate and appropriate risk-reduction measures on campus. o Establish escort services for students on campus and for those traveling to nearby off-campus locations. Conduct background checks on all escort service volunteers and supervise and monitor them carefully. o Provide security devices for students to activate when in danger and develop an emergency alert system on campus. o Install adequate lighting on all parts of campus. o Secure entry into residence halls, student rooms, and late-night computer labs and work areas; patrol residence halls, parking lots, and other common areas. o Widely publicize emergency numbers for police and medical services and crisis hotline numbers for sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking programs. o Support campus security efforts to gather accurate statistics on crime rates and the outcomes of violence against women on campus. 6. Mandate training and education for all campus police and security officers on sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking as well as related policies and protocols. o Include data about the prevalence and unique characteristics of violence against women on college campuses. o Provide guidelines for responding to victims in a nonjudgmental and appropriate manner; referring victims to campus and community-based services, including medical care and forensic sexual assault examinations as appropriate and requested; facilitating incident reporting to local law enforcement; and working collaboratively with local criminal justice agencies and community sexual assault and domestic violence programs. o Develop investigation skills to build evidence-based cases. o Promote full compliance with the Campus Security Act and its reporting requirements and work to ensure that all institutions maintain accurate data. 7. Involve campus housing and residence life staff in campus efforts to address and prevent sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. o Provide yearly training to campus housing and residence staff on sexual assault (including sexual harassment), dating and domestic violence, stalking, and campus policies and programs. o Use residence hall programming to create opportunities for discussion and support groups on issues related to violence against women. o Post hotline and referral information for campus and community-based sexual assault and domestic violence programs in residence hall bathrooms and on public notice boards. 8. Urge national associations of higher education professionals to prioritize violence against women as a key administrative and academic issue. o Encourage national associations to work collaboratively with violence against women experts to develop common principles, guidelines, policy directives, and curriculum materials to help colleges and universities develop comprehensive approaches to address and prevent violence against college women and to educate college students about sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. Develop Effective Campus Adjudication Processes 9. Facilitate students' access to both on-campus adjudication processes and off-campus criminal justice agencies. o Ensure that campus judicial processes and sanctions do not inhibit criminal prosecution of perpetrators of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. o Create statutes of limitation for campus adjudication that are not less than those in the state criminal and civil justice systems. o Provide information to all victims about options for on-campus adjudication and off-campus law enforcement involvement. o Enable every victim to pursue campus judicial processes, civil actions, and criminal charges concurrently, without concern that one outcome will affect the others. o Foster working relationships between the campus and the local community, including campus service providers, campus police, campus adjudication officials, off-campus service providers, local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and probation officers, and other criminal justice professionals. 10. Ensure a fair, victim-centered campus adjudication process through training and representative composition of the campus adjudication board. o Provide annual training for all adjudication board members. o When appropriate, involve violence against women experts in campus adjudication programs, including local sexual assault and domestic violence program advocates. o Provide adjudicators with information on appropriate and inappropriate questions for victims and alleged perpetrators and the range of victim behavior patterns, including the delayed response of some sexual assault victims (especially in cases involving drugs or alcohol) and its impact on victim reporting and testimony. o Ensure that the membership of the campus adjudication board reflects the composition of the campus community and, when appropriate, includes people not connected to the university who embrace a victim advocacy perspective. 11. Ensure that campus-based hearing procedures minimize victim trauma and maintain victims' rights without violating the rights of the accused. o Ensure victim confidentiality throughout adjudication procedures. o Apply the principles of rape shield laws to testimony (e.g., limiting inquiry into the victim's sexual history). o Employ a clearly defined standard of proof. o Allow the victim to have an advocate or similar figure accompany her through the judicial process, including legal counsel at her own expense. o Inform the victim of the time and location of all hearings and proceedings related to the case and provide the option of being present during the entire hearing if the accused has that right. Minimize inconvenience and disruption to the victim to the extent possible. o Allow the victim to testify at any hearings to recommend sanctions, remedial actions, or outcomes for the adjudication and, upon request, to testify at a different time than the accused perpetrator. o Include the option of an expedited hearing to determine issues of immediate concern, such as the need to alter campus housing or class schedules. Special considerations, such as flexibility relative to classwork, testing, or leaves of absence without tuition penalties, should be provided to the victim to accommodate academic circumstances affected by the victimization. o Inform the victim of the outcome of the case, including any conditions placed on the accused relative to the victim and her safety. o Ensure that a victim's rights in campus adjudication procedures mirror those built into the criminal justice system. 12. Adequately and appropriately address victim safety in campus-based sanctions and the adjudication process. o Establish a system of referral to law enforcement if the victim wants a protection order and is eligible for one under state law. o Provide the victim with updates about sanctions against a perpetrator, as necessary. o If feasible, allow students to obtain the administrative equivalent of a restraining/protection order against an offender, when appropriate, that accommodates the victim's academic schedule, needs, and preferences. 13. Administer sanctions in a manner that ensures offender accountability and victim and community safety. o Provide the adjudication board a range of formal and informal options to recommend for perpetrators of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking, including removal or suspension from athletics, fraternal organizations, student government, and other student organizations; loss of financial aid and grants; restricted access to residence halls or removal from campus housing; termination of campus employment; loss of eligibility for academic scholarships and fellowships; mandated counseling sessions; inclusion of the conviction in the offender's permanent transcript; and expulsion or suspension from the college or university. o Avoid the use of mediation or counseling between the survivor and perpetrator to keep from revictimizing or endangering the victim.[7] o Ensure that sanctions are not influenced by the racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic status of the perpetrator or his or her social, academic, or athletic standing within the campus community. Expand Services for Victims of Sexual Assault, Dating and Domestic Violence, and Stalking 14. Provide free or low-cost comprehensive, accessible on-campus and community-based services to survivors. o Designate at least one advocate responsible for assisting victims through the on- and off- campus systems following sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking. o Ensure that sexually assaulted students have access to expert evidence collection through on-campus trained sexual assault nurse examiners or off-campus health and law enforcement facilities. o Train health clinic staff on violence against women issues and how to provide appropriate, respectful screening and services to victims. o Consider providing transportation for victims to and from the hospital, police station, courthouse, and counseling appointments in vehicles not marked as campus security or police. o Provide appropriate services for all victims regardless of disability, race, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender. o Make services accessible to students who commute, have limited English skills, are older than the average student population, or have children. o Do not require that victims report the incident to campus security or local law enforcement as a condition for receiving services, but do encourage such reporting. o To minimize future victim-perpetrator contact when perpetrators are not removed from campus settings, help survivors who request such assistance transfer from a campus dormitory, access safe housing or a shelter, obtain an unlisted phone number, set up a new e-mail account, and take other relevant security measures. o Establish free short- and long-term counseling services and support groups on campus administered by counselors who have been trained to address the emotional and psychological needs of victims. 15. Widely publicize the availability of services for victims of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. o Establish and publicize a point of contact on campus for survivors where all communications are confidential. o Distribute brochures and literature about violence against women in places frequented by students, including health and mental health service centers. Engage Fraternities and Athletic Departments in Efforts To End Violence Against Women 16. Develop and implement specific strategies for student athletes and members of fraternal organizations that promote their involvement in campus efforts to end violence against women. o Provide comprehensive mandatory education programs about sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking for athletic directors, coaches, and fraternity advisers. o Use educational programs and prevention initiatives to work with fraternities to deter the use of coercion and force to gain sexual access to women. o Involve athletes and members of fraternal organizations in peer education programs on violence against women. o Encourage fraternities and athletic groups to develop volunteer and service programs in support of campus and community-based antiviolence initiatives. o Appoint college administrators who have been trained in violence against women issues and appropriate campus response to oversee fraternities and athletic groups and certify that they understand and comply with all campus policies and procedures related to violence against women. o Encourage national and local fraternities to develop and enforce chapter certification requirements, codes of conduct, and housing agreements (in residential chapters) that are consistent with campus efforts to end violence against women. o Consider removing from sports teams or fraternities any athletes or members found in violation of the law or campus policies related to violence against women. o Institute policies of disaffiliation for any fraternity that is in violation of campus policies on violence against women, presents a threat to women's safety, or is a source of violent behavior. Resources Campus Violence Prevention Center Towson State University Administrative Building, Room 110 Towson, MD 21204 Phone: 410-830-2178 Web site: www.reeusda.gov/pavnet/cj/cjcamvio.htm The Campus Violence Prevention Center provides information to campus and housing administrators and local police departments to establish campus crime and violence awareness seminars across the United States and abroad. Commission on Domestic Violence--Law School Initiative Project American Bar Association 740 15th Street NW. Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202-662-8637 Fax: 202-662-1594 Web site: www.abanet.org/domviol This American Bar Association Web page provides online links and resources for people who need counseling following a domestic violence incident and people who are searching for publications about violence against women. Iternational Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators 342 North Main Street West Hartford, CT 06117 Phone: 860-586-7517 Web site: www.iaclea.org The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) was founded to provide a forum for campus administrators, board executives, and faculty members to review campus problems and discuss potential solutions. Men Stopping Rape, Inc. 306 North Brooks Street Madison, WI 53715 Phone: 608-257-4444 Web site: www.danenet.wicip.org/msr Men Stopping Rape, Inc., is an organization of men who are concerned about women being victimized. It coordinates workshops on university and college campuses to train men and women to develop physically and emotionally safe places. Topics of discussion include masculinity, homophobia, male socialization, racism, and violence. National and the New York State Intercollegiate Coalition Against Sexual Assault Syracuse University R.A.P.E. Center 111 Waverley Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244 Phone: 315-443-7273 Fax: 315-443-4276 Web site: students.syr.edu/icasa/nicasa.htm The Intercollegiate Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) has established a victim service program on the Syracuse University campus through a grant from the New York Division of Health. ICASA implements programs on campuses across the country to expand awareness of and provide intervention services for persons involved in abusive relationships. This Web site includes a list of the campuses that participate in the program. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence 6400 Flank Drive, Suite 1300 Harrisburg, PA 17112 Phone: 1-800-537-2238 TTY: 1-800-533-2508 Fax: 717-545-9456 Web site: www.pcadv.org The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) is a valuable source for information, training, and technical assistance regarding domestic violence issues. NRC is also a clearinghouse for domestic violence resources and statistics that may be used to enhance policies and publications. National Sexual Violence Resource Center 123 North Enola Drive Enola, PA 17025 Phone 1-877-739-3895 TTY: 717-909-0715 Fax: 717-909-0714 Web site: www.nsvrc.org The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is a clearinghouse for resources and research about all forms of sexual violence. NSVRC works with its partner agency, the University of Pennsylvania, to provide new policies for establishing sexual violence interventions and prevention programs. Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network 635-B Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Washington, DC 20003 Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE Web site: www.rainn.org The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) offers a toll-free hotline for free, confidential counseling and support 24 hours a day for victims of rape, abuse, and incest. Rape Treatment Center Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center Campus Rape Program 1250 16th Street Santa Monica, CA 90404 Phone: 310-319-4503 Web site: www.911rape.org The Rape Treatment Center provides free treatment to sexual assault victims, including emergency medical assistance, exams, counseling, and therapy. The center also offers prevention training for law enforcement officers, medical personnel, and legal professionals. The Rape Treatment Center has free publications and videos to aid in teaching students and professionals. Security On Campus, Inc. 601 South Henderson Road, Suite 205 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Phone: 610-768-9330 or 1-888-251-7959 Fax: 610-768-0646 Web site: campussafety.org Security On Campus was established to prevent campus crimes and assist victims by enforcing their legal rights. The Web site provides links to recent publications and television broadcasts that have targeted this problem, as well as a list of resources for victims. Stalking Resource Center National Center for Victims of Crime 2000 M Street NW., Suite 480 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-467-8700 Fax: 202-467-8701 Web site: www.ncvc.org The National Center for Victims of Crime's (NCVC's) mission is to help victims of crime and their families rebuild their lives. The Stalking Resource Center provides resources, training, and technical assistance to criminal justice professionals and victim service providers to support locally coordinated, multidisciplinary antistalking approaches and responses. Violence Against Women Office--Campus Grant Program U.S. Department of Justice 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 Phone: 202-307-6026 Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/grants/campusgr.htm The Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Program is designed to encourage institutions of higher education to adopt comprehensive, coordinated responses to violence against women, including sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. The program awards funds to qualified institutions to help them develop and implement such coordinated responses. Endnotes 1. Violence Against Women Grants Office (1998). Stalking and Domestic Violence: The Third Annual Report to Congress Under the Violence Against Women Act. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. p. 10. NCJ 172204 2. Bureau of Justice Statistics (1998). Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. p. 13. NCJ 167237 3. Fisher, B., Sloan, J.J., III, and Cullen, F.T. (1995). Final Report: Understanding Crime Victimization Among College Students: Implications for Crime Prevention. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. p. 65. NCJ 175503 4. Presley, C.A., Meilman, J.R., Cashin, J.R., and Leichliter, L.S. (1997). Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses: Issues of Violence: A Report to College Presidents (Core Institute Monograph). Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University. p. 4. 5. Martin, P.Y., and Hummer, R.A. (1989). "Fraternities and Rape on Campus." Gender and Society 3(1): pp. 457-473. 6. Fisher, Sloan, and Cullen (1995), p. 65 (see note 3). 7. For more information, see discussion of alternative dispute resolution in chapter 3, "Enhancing the Response of the Justice System: Civil Remedies."