It is hard to miss the frenzy of activity around campus sexual assault. From the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, to new campus legislation and regulations, to intense media coverage to an unbelievable outcry from students, survivors, and activists…. Campus sexual assault is a problem that has gained the nation’s attention.
As preventionists we can use this national attention to our advantage during National Campus Safety Awareness Week, but do not forget that intimate partner violence, stalking, and harassment plague our college campuses as well. Encourage your communities to know more and do more to end all types of gender‐based violence on campus. Here are a few talking points to help you do so:

  • College aged women experience a higher rate of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and stalking than the general population.
  • A substantial number of female victims of gender‐based violence experience multiple forms of violence.
  • Most victims of all types of gender‐based violence know the perpetrator. Perpetrators tend to be current or former intimate partners for women and acquaintances for men.
  • While nearly one‐third (32%) of college presidents believe campus sexual assault is a problem, only 4% believe it is a problem at their college. Most (77%) said their school is doing a good job in preventing and responding to campus sexual assault.
  • Thirty‐seven percent of students view campus sexual assault as a problem. More than two-thirds gave their schools an A or a B for handling complaints; whereas only 8% gave their schools a D or an F.
  • As of July 24th, 2015, the U. S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights was investigating 124 colleges and universities over how they have handled sexual assault among students.
  • Title IX requires elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities receiving federal funding to combat gender‐based violence and harassment, and respond to survivors’ needs in order to ensure that all students have equal access to education. Learn more at www.knowyourix.org.
  • The Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges to report crimes that occur on campus and school safety policies. The Campus SaVE Act broadened Clery requirements to address all incidents of gender‐based violence. Learn more at www.clerycenter.org.

Students, survivors, advocates, activists, and politicians continue to push for federal legislation, students’ and survivors’ rights, campus‐wide awareness, and other system and social changes to help end gender‐based violence on campus once and for all. The time is definitely ripe for change and we can be part of that change. Check out some of the resources below so you can KNOW MORE, DO MORE to end gender‐based violence on campus.

  • Center for Changing Our Campus Culture @ www.changing ourcampus.org
  • Clery Center for Security on Campus @ www.clerycenter.org
  • hollaback! @ www.ihollaback.org
  • Know Your IX @ www.knowyourix.org
  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center @ www.nsvrc.org
  • NO MORE @ www.nomore.org
  • Not Alone @ www.notalone.gov
  • Stalking Resource Center @ www.victimsofcrime.org/our‐programs/stalkingresource‐center