February 20, 2014
State Rep. Mary Mushinsky offered testimony to the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee in strong support of HB 5029, a bill that will raise awareness and address prevention of sexual assault on college campuses in Connecticut.
The proposal, An Act Concerning Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence on Campus will address issues that came to light on the University of Connecticut campus in 2013. Every female member of the Connecticut General Assembly supports this legislation.
In her testimony, Rep. Mushinsky highlighted the notable differences between a small town like Wallingford and the complex layout and size of a large campus like UConn Storrs, for young students who have not been exposed to the dangers of the larger communities. “One of my constituents was trapped in off-campus housing last year and sexually assaulted. She did not realize she was trapped in the building until it was too late and there was a slow and unsatisfactory response by the school to her assault.”
The proposed legislation will include primary prevention training that will teach students how to avoid high-risk scenarios and teach bystanders how to offer assistance. Additionally, it would encourage mandatory as well as anonymous reporting which would help track trends in campus violence.
“Experts estimate one in five female college students are victims of unwanted sexual assault. A very small percentage (approximately 3%) of male students are responsible for most of the incidents, especially connected to athletics or fraternities,” Mushinsky said.
“It is a big change from a small town to a major campus, where students don’t have adult protection. We must equip our students to defend themselves and their fellow students, collect data on our progress and measure the response of the state’s higher education system,” Mushinsky concluded.