Sexual Violence on Campus

Strategic Plan
LAURA JENNINGS, MARY ROSAGE, NATHAN THOMAS, & CATIE TRIMBLE
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
Pervasiveness of Sexual Violence on Campus
1 in 5 college women has been sexually assaulted during their college career
Specifically regarding rape, on a campus of 10,000 students, 350 women are
likely to be raped every year
Between 2010-2012, on campus forcible sexual assault rose over 32%
Only 12% of student victims report sexual assaults to law enforcement
42 percent of college women who are raped tell no one about the assault
Rape survivors are 13 times more likely to attempt suicide than are people
who have not been victims of a crime. Rape survivors are six times more
likely to attempt suicide than are victims of other crimes
There are few statistics on sexual violence and men, and even less on the
intersection of culture and sexual violence

Based on this information, this epidemic cannot be
ignored on campuses. What can we do to lift the veil of
invisibility on sexual violence?
Sexual Violence Issues for College Campuses
Underreporting & Misreporting
o Only of schools are fully Clery compliant
Inadequate Education & Training
o Many schools do not provide adequate training to
those in the position to help
o Areas of weakness: campus security & housing
Lack of Response
o Widespread lack of institutional policy and
enforcement
Issue 1: Underreporting & Misreporting
Difficulties stem from:
o Inconsistent use of key terms
Campus, student, sexual misconduct, consent
o Policy loopholes
Driven by lack of common definitions between
Clery Act, institutions and students
o Varying/vague codes of conduct
o Inadequate publicity and visibility of
statistics and resources on campus
o Lack of student reporting
1


Issue 2: Lack of Education and Training
Minimal response training for campus
security/police

No required education for students & parents
Though faculty/staff are briefed on Clery, they
are provided with few resources to counsel
and support victims
Issue 3: Inadequate Response
Outside counseling centers, few faculty/staff
are versed in response techniques
Counseling often lacks culturally specific
response techniques

Students may not feel confident in institutions
response if misreporting continues to occur
Lack of ongoing legal communication and
support to all parties involved

Addressing the Elephant in the Room
ISSUE 1: UNDERREPORTING & MISREPORTING
Addressing the Elephant in the Room
Creation of SMART: Sexual Misconduct Awareness Response Team
This Team will be responsible for implementing strategies to
address all three issues
Team of 13 faculty and staff, comprised of:

VP of Student Affairs (chair)
Counseling Center, new hire Greek Life
Campus Safety Womens Center
GLBT Center Disabilities Services
Multicultural Services Office International services
Athletics Faculty Senate Representative
Housing Assessment


Addressing the Elephant in the Room
SMART will update and clarify definitions of:
o Campus
o Student
o Consent
o Sexual misconduct

Updated definitions will assist in closing loopholes,
clarify existing sexual misconduct policies, and
establishing greater consistency in reporting practices.
Lifting the Veil of Invisibility
ISSUE 2: LACK OF EDUCATION & TRAINING
Lifting the Veil of Invisibility
SMART will:

Ensure ALL campus safety officers receive training
on sexual violence response procedures
Facilitate training for new faculty/staff in
accordance with Clery Act
Create education materials for new student and
parent orientation programs
o Dissemination of Campus Sexual Assault
Victims Bill of Rights

Collaborate with SMART student liaisons
Oversee Sexual Violence Prevention Institute
...students used rituals to transmit
to their newest members their
ways with respect to becoming a
contributing member of the
university (Magolda, 1999, p. 12).
SMART Student Liaisons
Magoldas words infer the need for buy-in from the student
body. Student influence will ultimately spurn a change in
campus culture in ways we can and cannot measure.

His words support the formation of a student group, in
addition to SMART, as they cultivate new traditions
centered on the prevention and education of campus sexual
violence.


From Theory to Practice
The need to support students through a sexual
violence crisis results in the necessity for on-campus
support resources
Astins Involvement Theory
New Student & Parent Orientation
Debunking the myths - testimonials and statistics
presented at new student and parent orientation
o SMART student liaisons assist with planning and
implementation of orientation activities
Changing campus culture - increased prevention due
to greater awareness from the beginning of the
college experience

Sexual Violence Prevention Institute
Creation of Sexual Violence Prevention Institute housed
within Counseling Center and intended for faculty, staff,
and students
One-time response training
o Curriculum includes response steps, contact
information, common definitions
Culmination in Response Ally status
Safe Haven stickers provided to Allies to establish a
supportive space for victims to come forward
Enacting a Culture of Support
ISSUE 3: RESPONSE
Enacting a Culture of Support
Development of alert app
o Device application discretely and immediately informs
campus safety and local police of a victims location in
the case of an emergency
Increased distribution of sexual misconduct hotline
contact information
o Ex: Hotline informational stickers posted in both male
and female restrooms
o Stickers will include variety of facts to increase
awareness of sexual misconduct myths
Enacting a Culture of Support
Ability to return to a safe space on campus for victims
o Alternative housing arrangements for victims who
may be in close proximity to their attacker
Hospital advocate if victim requires treatment
o An on-call counseling center representative to
walk the victim through the hospital process,
provide emotional support, and ensure the
victims safe return to campus or other location
Enacting a Culture of Support
Culturally appropriate counsel
o Acknowledgment that various groups need
culturally specific counseling
Gender appropriate counsel
o Provide equally available resources for all genders
comparable to what is found at womens centers
Counseling Center follow up
o Keeping the victim apprised of investigation details,
if the victim seeks to press charges
o Additional ongoing counseling to ensure victims
well being
Social Media Campaign
Responsibility of SMART student liaisons
Maximize awareness through social media
o Establish Twitter account
Tweets focused on sexual violence statistics
Highlight SAAM and other awareness events
o Create SMART website to convey the following information:
Sexual Violence Institute educational workshops and
resources (Allies)
Student Code of Conduct Handbook
Continue to dispel sexual violence myths
Push critical definitions to campus community
Notify of resources for victim and accused on campus
Assessment
A one size fits all model to assess the
successes and challenges of these new
programs would not capture the institution-
specific initiatives instituted by SMARTs across
the country
University assessment representatives would
liaise between SMART and the assessment
office to implement frequent institution-
specific tools
References
6 Safety Apps Every Student Should Download (n.d.) Retreived from
http://mashable.com/2012/09/26/safety-apps-for-students/#gallery/6-safety-apps-every-student-should-
download/50d33650b589e40263004cc2

AAUW Empowering Women (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/legal-resources/know-your-rights-on-campus/campus-sexual-assault/#stats

Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development,
40(5), 518-529.

Carmody, D., Ekhomu, J., & Payne, B. K. (2009). Needs of Sexual Assault Advocates in Campus-Based Sexual Assault Centers.College
Student Journal, 43(2), 507-513.

Fisher, B.S., Cullen, F.T., & Turner, M.G. (2000). The Sexual Victimization of College Women. National Institute of
Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting (2013) Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/handbook.pdf

Magolda, P. M. (1999). Using ethnographic fieldwork and case studies to guide student affairs practice. Journal of College Student
Development, 40(1), 10-21.

McMahon, P. (2008). Sexual Violence on the College Campus: A Template for Compliance with Federal Policy. Journal Of American
College Health, 57(3-), 361-366.
North Carolina State University (2013). Reg 11.35.02 - student discipline procedures . Retrieved from
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-11-35-02

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/public-policy/campus-safety

The White House Council on Women and Girls, (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cwg

US Department of Education Campus Safety and Security Forcible Assault Report, (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://ope.ed.gov/security/index.aspx



References (contd.)