This document discusses the challenges of preventing and responding to violence against women on college campuses. It identifies several key challenges, including denial of the problem, difficulties coordinating responses across different campus departments and with local law enforcement, lack of adequate support services, and lack of knowledge about the nature and dynamics of violence against women crimes. The document provides examples of successes in addressing these challenges through collaboration, clear policies, training, and ensuring support and advocacy services are well-coordinated both on and off campus.

1. The Challenges of Preventing & Responding to
Violence Against Women Crimes On Campus
VACLEA Summer Conference
June 2011

2. Agenda
• Introduction
• Research
• Challenges & Opportunities
• Legal Landscape

3. Challenges Addressing VAW

4. Challenges Addressing VAW

5. Challenges Addressing VAW
We MUST Avoid:
“Compounding the lack of transparency, Yale maintains its
own campus police force, to which sex-crime victims are
encouraged to report their complaints if they insist upon
formal documentation. But victims often do not understand
that this actually tends to contain potentially embarrassing
scandals, by preventing real – that is, accountable – law
enforcement from getting involved.”

6. Challenges Addressing VAW
And THIS:

7. Challenges Addressing VAW
• Campuses have unique challenges due to climate,
environment and culture
ü Significant concentration of young adults
ü Mutual support
ü Sometimes - conflicting goals!
• Collaboration, communication, coordination and
capitalization are keys

8. Research
National
Sexual
Victimization
of
College
Women
Survey
(2000)

9. Prevalence of Sexual Assault
1 in 36 college women in any
7 month period;
90% of perpetrators
are known to the victim
Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000: The Sexual Victimization of College Women

10. Key Findings
• 2.8% experienced a rape or attempted rape
(previous 7 month period)
• Data suggests nearly 5% of college women are
victimized in a calendar year (5,000 = 250)
• Over course of college career, 20 to 25% will
experience rape or attempted rape
[National
Sexual
Victimization
of
College
Women
Survey
(2000)]

11. Key Findings
• 3 in 10 women report being injured
emotionally or psychologically from being
stalked
• Victim reported threats or attempted harm in
15.3% of incidents
• Victim reported that the stalker forced or
attempted sexual contact in 10.3% of
incidents
[National
Sexual
Victimization
of
College
Women
Survey
(2000)]

12. Reported Stalking Incidents
Overall, 83.1% of stalking incidents were NOT
reported to police
BUT….
93.4% of victims confided in someone, most often
a friend, that they were being stalked
[National
Sexual
Victimization
of
College
Women
Survey
(2000)]

13. Dr. David Lisak’s Research
• The Rape Paradox:
ü Millions of Victims
ü Approx. 5% of rapists are incarcerated or
in treatment programs
• Where are all the rapists?

14. Lisak Study Methodology
• Summary of studies of 1,882 men
ü Duke University & University of
Massachusetts (1986-2000)
ü Men were interviewed as part of
the study… they were volunteer
participants
Research Published in Violence and Victims, Volume 17, Number 1 (February 2002)

15. Lisak Methodology
“Have you ever had sexual intercourse with an
adult when they didn’t want to because you
used physical force (twisting their arm, holding
them down, etc.) if they didn’t cooperate?”

16. Lisak Study Findings
1882 Men Assessed: 120 Rapists
• 483 rapes & attempted rapes of women they knew
• 63% had committed multiple rapes
• Average = 4/rapist
• Rapist patterns
• Percentage of population rapists (small)

17. Title IX – What Does It Require?
Why a DCL?
Title IX of the Education Amendments of1972 (“Title
IX”), 20 U.S.C. Sec.1681, et seq., prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally
funded education program or activity. ED is issuing the
DCL to explain that the requirements of Title IX cover
sexual violence and to remind schools6 of their
responsibilities to take immediate and effective steps
to respond to sexual violence in accordance with the
requirements of Title IX.

18. Title IX – What Does It Require?
• Once you know or reasonably should know of
possible sexual violence, take immediate action;
• If sexual violence has occurred, take prompt and
effective steps to end it, prevent its recurrence, and
address effects;
• Take steps to protect the complainant;
• Provide grievance procedures for students to file
complaints;
• Use the preponderance of evidence standard; and,
• Notify both parties of the outcome of a complaint

19. Challenge #1 – Denial
• Societal
ü There’s rape and then “there’s rape-rape”
ü If fear is in the room…
• Institutional
ü Why the sudden interest and attention?
ü 1 in 5 college students robbed…
• Individual
ü Respecting boundaries
ü Knowing what’s rape

20. Challenge #1 – Denial
Societal

21. Challenge #1 – Denial
OPPORTUNITIES
• Do it with “Data”
• Consistent messages about VAW within both
contexts
• Reinforce support for survivors
• Reinforce accountability for offenders
• Train entire campus
• Bystander Intervention

22. Challenge #1 – Denial
Bystander Intervention
• Evidence-based programming
• Strong results from work in the military
• Some institutional policies can promote social
norm of appropriate intervention
• Each campus community member must see
themselves as a “bystander”

23. Challenge #2 – Touch Points
Many “touch points” offer
opportunities and challenges

24. Challenge #2 – Touch Points
• Campus Public Safety (sworn/non-sworn)
• Student Affairs (Dean, Residence Life, RAs)
• Health Services
• Counseling Center
• Women’s Center (advocates)
• Academic Dean’s Offices & Faculty
• Off-campus resources

25. Challenge #2 – Touch Points
CHALLENGES
- Poor collaboration leads to cross purposes and poor
support for survivors
- Complex and confusing reporting policies complicates the
process
OPPORTUNITIES
- Strong collaboration (before incidents are reported)
ensures survivor’s interest remain top priority
- Advocates embedded in PD; appropriate protocols

26. Challenge #3 - Coordination
Coordination – inside and
outside the institution – often
creates tension

27. Challenge #3 - Coordination
• Poor coordination creates barriers to reporting
ü Fear of not being believed/taken seriously
ü Fear of being retaliated against
ü Fear of losing social supports
ü Fear of “getting in trouble” for multiple policy
violations
ü Difficulties in understanding/identifying what
happened
ü Lack of clear structure for support and/or reporting

28. Challenge #3 - Coordination
• Campus public safety
• Local police
• Student Affairs
• Prosecution

29. Challenge #3 - Coordination
• What are community expectations?
(several constituents)
• Do local police handle cases? If so, which?
What protocols exist to determine?
• Do campus police handle? What protocols
exist to determine?
• “Administrative” Investigations/Inquiries

30. Challenge #3 - Coordination
CHALLENGES
• Are public safety officers trained to appropriate
level?
• Are they representing survivor, institution, or “the
people?”
• Deans want to move forward (Title IX)
• Prosecutors want to build best possible case
SUCCESSES
• Pre-coordination & REAL Relationships
• Close coordination when incident reported

31. Challenge #3 - Coordination
SUCCESSES
• Clear, easy-to-access policies which
direct students to specific resources
• Training of all students, faculty and
staff regarding policies and processes
• Written notification of rights and
reporting options, structures

32. Challenge #4 – Support Services
Existence and coordination of
support services

33. Challenge #4 – Support Services
CHALLENGES
• Not all campuses have victim support services;
survivors may rely on community resources
• Local providers may not understand campus
processes or culture; could lead to poor advice
or worst, further danger for the survivor

34. Challenge #4 – Support Services
SUCCESSES
• On and off campus advocates work closely together;
ü Some jurisdictions, advocates serve both community
and campus (capitalization)
• Close coordination and communication
ü Positive working relationships with all providers both
on and off campus
ü Local support services understand campus culture
and processes
ü Regular meetings to practice a coordinated response

35. Challenge #4 – Support Services
SUCCESSES
• Specialized training in VAW, trauma,
policies, processes and resources
• Confidentiality
• 24/7, free and inclusive services
• Centralized coordination of services

36. Challenge #4 – Support Services
SUCCESSES
• Clear and consistent referral processes
• No “passing the buck”
• Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up

37. Challenge #5 – Lack of Knowledge
Campus may not adequately
understand and/or acknowledge
the nature and dynamic of VAW
crimes

38. Challenge #5 – Lack of Knowledge
CHALLENGES
• Lack of knowledge in Student Affairs
and Police/Security Departments
• Correlation between violence against
women crimes
• Failure to acknowledge the prevalence
of relationship violence
• Judicial Board Training

39. Challenge #5 – Lack of Knowledge
SUCCESSES
• Fully informed campus constituents
• VAWA Grants require joint training
• Presence of viable crime prevention
and security awareness programs (e.g.:
Men Against Rape programs)

40. Legal Landscape
• Clery Act (educational programming;
notifications; crime prevention; support;
discipline)
• Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act (2000)
• Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act
(SaVE Act) (pending legislation)
• Case Law & Clery Act program reviews

41. Opportunities for Success
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Coordination
• Capitalization

42. Resources
• http://www.margolis-healy.com/index.php/resources/
violence_against_women
• www.securityoncampus.org
• Stalking Resource Center (http://www.ncvc.org/src/)
• US DOJ Office on Violence Against Women
• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) –
Law Enforcement Leadership Institute on Violence
Against Women
• Dr. David Lisak, UMASS Boston

43. Contact
Steven J. Healy
866-817-5817
shealy@margolis-healy.com
www.margolis-healy.com