what makes a good sexual assault policy?
also: A profile of the issue
A good policy must meet the needs of your unique campus community. It
is impossible to create a "perfect policy" that will fit every campus,
but there are basic guidelines that should be met in constructing a workable
and effective sexual assault policy.
- Student Input - Students representing a diversity
of communities should have a formalized way of communicating their concerns
about a policy to administrators, and an effective, democratic means
of changing the policy if it does not suit their needs.
- Accessibility - Policies should be easy to understand
and use. Administrators should effectively publicize policies and ensure
that students understand how they work. Students should be able to use
services and disciplinary procedures regardless of income, disability,
and identity.
- Due Process - Disciplinary procedures should be
standardized and consistently enforced. Procedures should include provisions
protecting students wrongly accused of sexual assault and measures to
ensure fair treatment of those who come forward with complaints of sexual
assault.
- Fairness - All services should be available to students
regardless of sex, ethnic background, or sexual orientation. All disciplinary
procedures should be fair and impartial.
- Oversight - Policies should have formalized means
of oversight. No one carrying out a policy should have absolute authority,
and students should have a formalized way to ensure that policies are
being carried out properly and effectively.
- Prevention and Education - Policies should include
meaningful efforts at education of students in the dynamics of sexual
assault, the effects it has on survivors, and the many factors that
allow it to continue. These efforts should challenge sexism, homophobia,
racism and other oppressions rather than reinforcing or ignoring them.
- Crisis Intervention - Survivors should have crisis
services available to them 24 hours a day, every day of the school year.
Free emergency contraception, antibiotics, and post-exposure HIV prophylaxis
should be available in school health centers.
- Long Term Counseling - Colleges providing counseling
services for students should provide survivors with access to unlimited
free counseling.
- Community Involvement - Colleges should be responsible
to surrounding communities. Members of the community who are sexually
assaulted by students or staff should receive any services offered by
the college. Innocent community members should not be harassed or harmed
in efforts to "protect" students.
For more information about primary prevention, download
"Sexual Violence and the Spectrum of Prevention: Towards a Community
Solution" from the
National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
also: A profile of the issue
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