12 Emotional damage may be serious and equally requiring of treatment. 11 Pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, are additional concerns. An immediate concern is physical injury, which may be extensive enough to require medical treatment or hospitalization. The consequences of sexual assault are potentially very serious. 9 Unlike “stranger rape,” acquaintance rape may not even be perceived by those involved as “rape,” a perception that may discourage or delay disclosure (which may occur days, weeks, even years after the event). 8 The fact that sexual assaults on campuses largely take place between acquaintances blurs understandings both of consent and of assault, and lessens the likelihood of reporting. 7 Studies of campus sexual assault indicate that many-perhaps most-assaults and attempted assaults are never reported or, if reported, not consistently counted as official. 6 The rate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer students is estimated to be slightly higher.
5 Between 20 and 25 percent of college women and 4 percent of college men report having been sexually assaulted during their college years. 4 Women in the traditional age range for college students-from eighteen to twenty-one-are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in any other age group, and college-bound women are at greater risk than their non-college-bound peers. Scope of the ProblemĬampus sexual assault is a significant problem. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of coherent and consistent policy throughout the institution. We discuss the special role and responsibility of faculty members, a group often overlooked in campus sexual-assault prevention and training programs. We then outline what a robust sexual-assault policy might look like, noting institutional and procedural elements that authorities consider promising as well as those that pose special challenges for the development of sound policy and procedures. We then summarize federal law pertaining to sexual assault, including the provisions of the Jeanne Clery Act and its reporting requirements for institutions of higher education. Drawing on research findings and other sources, we first outline the scope of the problem, the consequences, and the management of sexual assault. Institutions that wish to have a separate statement on the prevention and management of campus sexual assault may find the suggestions presented in this report useful in developing policy and procedures. Some colleges and universities choose to incorporate sexual assault into existing policies governing professional ethics, sexual harassment, or campus violence. Because definitions of various acts and their status differ widely by state, community, research study, and institution, colleges and universities are urged to determine the terms and conditions applicable in their localities. Whereas the prevention and management of sexual-harassment incidents are generally considered to fall within the purview of campus policy and procedures, incidents of sexual violence and sexual assault may constitute criminal offenses, require medical attention, and raise special concerns about reporting, record keeping, media attention, and police involvement. 2 Actual or threatened sexual assault raises issues for colleges and universities that go beyond those of sexual harassment. National attention has recently turned to sexual violence and the problems it poses for the classroom, campus, and community.
The same statement emphasizes that the success of any policy requires campus leadership to “provide appropriate ethical standards and to provide suitable internal procedures to secure their observance.” 1 of students.” Sexual Harassment: Suggested Policy and Procedures for Handling Complaints (1995) reiterates this ethical responsibility, asserting that acts of harassment clearly violate expected standards of campus conduct. The Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students, formulated in 1967 (revised 1990–92), states that the “freedom to learn depends upon appropriate opportunities and conditions in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community.” The 1966 Statement on Professional Ethics (revised in 19) emphasizes the responsibility of faculty members to “avoid any exploitation. Several Association documents identify important elements of such an environment. The American Association of University Professors has long recognized that the freedom to teach and to learn is inseparable from the maintenance of a safe and hospitable learning environment. It was adopted by the Association’s Council in November 2012. The statement that follows was approved in October 2012 by the Association’s Committee on Women in the Academic Profession and its Subcommittee on Sexual Assault on Campus.
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