Student survivors are speaking out

August 15, 2013 |
Valor

Photo by Sean MacEntee - www.flickr.com/photos/smemonStudent survivors are speaking out! They’re telling their universities, and the rest of us, that they’re feeling unsafe and that their needs are not being met by their college communities.  While local cases like USC and Occidental highlight some of the problems, they are not the only universities whose students are speaking out.  Survivor voices continue to get louder as they are feeling silenced by a lack of response, a lack of sensitivity and a lack of resources.
The time is long past, for universities to ensure they are seeing the perspective of survivors, in particular student survivors, when it comes to their institutional responses. Title IX and the Clery Act provide a foundation for ensuring universities compliance with survivors rights, however, the responsibility of the university and the community surrounding it goes beyond compliance.  The experience of sexual violence is profound and can have an impact on the survivor’s short and long term goals.  It can impact their class attendance, academic performance and long term career and educational goals.  Universities need to focus on survivor’s needs, which frequently vary.  Some may request a change of dorm or class, some may need counseling support, some may be very committed to an investigation and need the support of the university as they maneuver the investigative and judicial systems.
CALCASA welcomes the opportunity to work with both students and their college communities to develop a survivor centered response to sexual violence on campus and prevention strategies that engage the entire college community.  If you have questions about how CALCASA can help work with your college community please contact us at campus@calcasa.org