May 1, 2012
BILL TARGETING SEXUAL VIOLENCE
ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES PASSES HOUSE
Legislation HB 5031 sponsored by State Representative Gregory Haddad that will help colleges and universities prevent and respond to sexual violence on campus passed the House unanimously 146-0.
The bill came out of the legislature’s Higher Education Committee, of which Haddad is a member. He noted that preventing sexual assault on college campuses takes a community-wide commitment to changing the culture and conditions that allow violence to occur.
“This will help ensure that students are given information about what constitutes assault and encourage victims to step forward to get help,” Haddad said. “Preventing sexual assault before it occurs and making sure colleges provide a supportive response when it does occur is the ultimate goal.”
Specifically, the bill requires colleges to adopt policies on sexual assault and domestic violence, including information about a victim's rights to notify law enforcement, how to receive campus assistance in making the notification and how to obtain restraining orders.
It also requires colleges to outline disciplinary procedures, including clear language advising students that victims can request that disciplinary proceedings begin promptly, that they may be accompanied to proceedings by an advisor or support person of their choice, and that they may keep their identities confidential as permitted under state or federal law.
Haddad added "I attended the annual ‘Take Back the Night’ event and was impressed by the commitment demonstrated by so many students. The UConn community and especially many of the students themselves have been working to ensure UConn is a safe campus for everyone. Even as we recognize that UConn is far ahead of other campuses in its policies and programs, we must always challenge ourselves to do better."
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice, students decline to report sexual assaults because they fear reprisal (40%), they do not want other people to find out (47%), they don’t believe the incident is serious enough to report (65%), or they don’t know how to report it (14%).
Haddad pointed out that many of the provisions in the bill are already required under a federal law known as the Clery Act. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to publish an annual report that discloses campus crime statistics and school policies related to crime and reporting. It also requires campuses to issue “timely warnings” when they become aware of a crime or series of crimes that could impact the college community.
The bill goes next to the state Senate.