Site audits assault protocol

By Lauren Busto

The sexual assault policy at Santa Clara needs to be improved in order to better cater to the needs of victims, according to a nonprofit organization that evaluates universities' sexual assault policies.

Margaret Mikkelsen, executive director of Students Active for End Rape, said the policy is confusing, "not victim-centered" and aimed toward risk reduction instead of prevention.

SAFER was founded in 2000 by a group of students at Columbia University. It helps students organize to change their university's policies regarding sexual assault. They provide a database that evaluates the policies of various universities toward sexual assault.

Safercampus.org, the SAFER Web site asserts that 20 to 25 percent of women will be assaulted during their college years, and a majority of those attacks will be performed by a fellow student.

One of the main issues Mikkelsen found with the policy was its lack of clarity. She said there were not enough specifics about the reporting process, such as details concerning confidentiality and anonymity, to really cater to a person in crisis.

"Victims need more than a vague, abstract process that can be really scary," she said.

According to Matthew Duncan, associate dean for student life, Santa Clara's approach is proactive and aimed at educating students about the issue, especially bystander intervention.

"I feel very good about where we are as an institution," he said.

Santa Clara's sexual assault protocol is not available online, but students can find copies of the protocol as well as assistance in the Office of Student Life, according to the university's Web site.

Mikkelsen said the policy falls short of dealing with the situation that facilitates this kind of behavior by focusing too much on telling women what not to do.

"Safety tips put the burden on women as potential victims to protect themselves," she said, "It doesn't put the burden on the community to hold everyone responsible."

The SAFER Web site said this is a common problem.

"Most current prevention programs do little more than provide women with a few cautionary words," the site says. "Men are rarely addressed, and if they are it is assumed that they could never experience assault themselves."

The protocol recommends that victims file a report through Campus Safety Services, the Office of Student Life, or if the assailant is a member of the faculty or staff, the Office of Affirmative Action. Recommendations on how to preserve evidence and information on contacting the YWCA Rape Crisis Hotline are also included in the protocol.

The Student Code of Conduct states in section seven that students who commit "non-consensual physical contact of a sexual nature such as sexual misconduct, sexual assault and rape" will be subject to "disciplinary action."

One of the positive aspects of the university's approach comes in peer education groups on campus, said Mikkelsen, such as Every Two Minutes and One in Four.

These sexual assault advocacy groups try to educate students through outreach programs, such as programs for Residential Learning Communities and a presentation for incoming freshman.

Duncan acknowledged these groups as crucial to the campus's approach to the issue.

"The more that there are students committed to addressing this issue and have the skill-set to do so, the more likely we are to prevent acts of sexual violence," Duncan said.

These groups were founded five years ago when the university received federal funding to create more resources for victims of sexual assault on campus.

Megan Stinar, a member of Every Two Minutes, said one of the biggest obstacles the group faces in reaching students is apathy.

"There's a huge feeling on campus that it doesn't happen here," she said, "The subject is not received well."

Many of the possible improvements to the policy would involve making it more specific and including more information about what sexual assault is and how it works on college campuses.

"It would be helpful to also have information for the rest of the community on how to recognize potential perpetrator behavior," she said. "Those are the behaviors that we need to know more about and people need to be aware of and watch out for."

This sort of information would address the problem at its root and have a chance at changing the campus mindset about the issue, Mikkelsen said.

Senior Liz Engellenner said she wished the school put more emphasis on the issue.

"If I found myself in that situation, I would have no idea what to do," she said.

Mikkelsen said students often encounter ignorance when trying to change their schools' policies.

"Sometimes it's a lack of understanding that you need more than crisis services," she said. "You need to be addressing cultural issues and trying to change the culture on campus," she said.

Correction:The story incorrectly stated that the Sexual Assault Reporting Protocol is not available online. Each year the Office of Student Life publishes the Student Handbook, which includes the reporting protocol, in hardcopy format, and the information is also available online. The protocol informs individuals what to do in the event someone is a victim of sexual misconduct. Since 2006, the university has required all freshmen to attend a theatrical presentation about the prevention of sexual assault. This program informs students on the definition of sexual assault, how to prevent assault from occurring and it addresses the emotional and physical impact assaults have on victims. One in Four and Every Two Minutes are student peer education organizations that educate men and women respectively regarding this topic. The Wellness Center sponsors these student organizations as they present programming to all students throughout the academic year. On an annual basis, the Office of Student Life reviews its policies, including the Sexual Assault Reporting Protocol. The Office of Student Life also presents prevention training to various student, staff and faculty groups in partnership with community agencies such as the YWCA Rape Crisis Center, Santa Clara Police Department and hospital health officials.The Web site for the protocol is: http://www.scu.edu/studentlife/osl/StudentLifePublications/Student-Handbook.cfm.