Colleges must respond better to assaults
Recent, high profile news stories have stimulated conversations about both Title IX and the problem of sexual assault on college campuses. While these two issues are inextricably linked, both are complex. Readers may wonder, what is Title IX and its relationship to the problem of sexual violence on college campuses? Why does Title IX matter?
Title IX is the 1972 landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. In the beginning, the most visible application of Title IX within the education community was the improved support for women’s athletic programs.
In the years since its implementation, Title IX has grown to be associated with issues affecting women. Title IX is more than that. The law is intended to protect all students from sex-based discrimination. These protections are not intended to replace legal prosecution of sexual assault cases. Rather, they are intended to provide for an immediate response to ensure a victim can continue her education free of ongoing sex discrimination, sexual harassment or sexual violence. One of the key expectations is that schools must take immediate steps to prevent and address sexual violence.
Title IX requirements include the appointment of a Title IX Coordinator within all colleges and universities — both public and private — to ensure institutional compliance responsibilities are met. These obligations include campus-wide dissemination of related policies and procedures, prevention and bystander training, accessible reporting channels, rapid response to complaints, temporary remedies, prompt and thorough investigations, appropriate attention to confidentiality, and protecting the interests of each party.
We know that 1 in 4 female undergraduates reports being sexually assaulted. More than 50 percent of college sexual assaults occur in the months of August through November. This period of greatest vulnerability for first-year students, from the time they first arrive on campus through Thanksgiving break is described as the “Red Zone.” However, students are at risk for sexual assault for their entire college career. The effects of sexual violence can last a lifetime and often include injury to the body, mind, and human spirit.
Victims may be hesitant to seek help from law enforcement or campus officials because they fear being blamed, humiliated, or even punished for breaking campus rules. For many students, being a victim of sexual violence can interrupt or completely impede academic progress.
The response of campus officials to reports of sexual assault must be immediate, helpful and effective with the goal of assisting the victim in seeking psychological and medical care, continuing their education and providing a platform to prevent future sexual assaults from occurring. Nine universities, including Texas Women’s University, are partnering with higher education organizations to create or strengthen policies to prevent campus sexual violence and improve responses to sexual assault on college campuses.
Each partner institution will participate in an assessment of their campus climate, review and revision of campus policies, and creation of a task force to create or strengthen prevention programs and responses to campus sexual assault.
While eradicating sexual violence on campus seems impossible, efforts like ours are a good start. We must all be committed to strengthening the objective of Title IX and making campuses a safer place for students.