Abstract
Sexual assault of female college students is recognized as a serious public health problem in the United States (US). Available data on sexual assault likely underestimate the true scope of the problem. However, research shows that about one in five women experiences sexual assault while in college and that most of these assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim. In the Title IX, a law passed in 1972, requires colleges and universities to respond to and remedy hostile educational environments, including those related to sexual misconduct. In addition to Title IX, the US government instituted several federal laws and programs to address the problem. As of 2016, there were more than 200 institutions under federal investigation for mishandlings of sexual misconduct cases. However, advocate groups have called upon the government to mandate more accountability of colleges to investigate such crimes and to enforce penalties for non-compliance. Several recent high-profile cases have called attention to the pervasiveness of sexual misconduct in American society, leading to global movements such as the #MeToo campaign. While these are signs of progress, more must clearly be done to ensure that students are provided with safe learning environments at college campuses throughout the country. This chapter delineates the scope of sexual assault among college students and outlines the recent and historical steps that have been taken to address the problem. Specifically, this case analyzes the US government’s leadership role in mandating increased reporting and investigation of these crimes by colleges and universities.
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Appendices
Discussion Questions
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1.
Why do you think first year students are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault?
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2.
What are some unique challenges that female college students who have experienced sexual assault may face in accessing help? And how can colleges better respond to support these students?
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3.
How much of the responsibility for preventing and responding to sexual assault should be assumed by the federal government versus the individual college?
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What are some specific interventions that colleges could take that might be effective in preventing sexual assault on college campuses?
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How might the recent movements to expose sexual misconduct in other sectors influence sexual assault on college campuses?
Follow–Up Reading
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016). Sexual assault on campus. strategies for prevention. https://www.notalone.gov/schools/.
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DeGue, S. (2014). A systematic review of primary prevention strategies for sexual violence perpetration. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 19(4), 346–362.
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Krebs, C. P., Lindquist, C. H., Berzofsky, M., Shook-S. A. B., Peterson, K., Planty, M., Langon, L., & Stroop, J. (2016). Campus climate survey validation study: Final technical report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
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McMahon, S., Valle, L.A., Holt, M.K., Massetti, G.M., Matjasko, L., & Tharp, A. T. (2011). Changing perceptions of sexual violence over time. National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women. http://www.ncdsv.org/images/Vawnet_ChangingPerceptionsOfSexualViolenceOverTime_10-2011.pdf
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Withers, M. (2019). Preventing Sexual Assault on College Campuses in the United States. In: Withers, M., McCool, J. (eds) Global Health Leadership. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95633-6_10
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