The White House has released a set of guidelines to help colleges deal with sexual assault. Not Alone: The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault sets out action steps that include campus climate surveys and recommendations for prevention programs and effective responses to reports of sexual assault. The report includes:
- CDC recommendations for preventing sexual violence on campus
- Guidelines for bystander intervention
- Sample language for reporting and confidentially disclosing sexual violence
- A checklist for campus sexual misconduct policies
It concludes
The action steps and recommendations highlighted in this report are the initial phase of an ongoing plan. The Task Force is mindful, for instance, of the continuing challenges schools face in meeting Title IX and Clery Act requirements. We will continue to work toward solutions, clarity, and better coordination. We will also review the various laws and regulations that address sexual violence for possible regulatory or statutory improvements, and seek new resources to enhance enforcement. Also, campus law enforcement officials have special expertise – and they should be tapped to play a more central role. We will also consider how our recommendations apply to public elementary and secondary schools – and what more we can do to help there.
The task force established Not Alone, a website that provides resources and data for schools and students on how to respond to and prevent sexual assault on college and university campuses and in schools.
Additional reading:
- What Obama’s New Task Force Should Do to Fight College Rape, New Republic, Jan. 23, 2014.
- The White House Is Publishing a Map of Schools That Mishandle Sexual Assault, New Republic, Apr. 29, 2014.
- White House Releases College Sexual Assault Recommendations, Huffington Post, Apr. 28, 2014.
- Behind Focus on College Assaults, a Steady Drumbeat by Students, N.Y. Times, Apr. 29, 2014.
- Rape and Sexual Assault, The White House Council on Women and Girls, Jan. 2014.
- Sexual Assault, Stalking and Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence, Pace University Student Handbook.
- 55 Colleges Face Sexual Assault Investigations, Huffington Post, May 1, 2014.