With the nation’s attention focused on sexual violence on college campuses, many Federal departments are developing new resources and programs to support the effort.  For example,  CALCASA’s national prevention project, PreventConnect, recently presented at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Think Tank and Action Planning meetings on preventing campus sexual violence.
Screenshot 2015-08-06 09.21.25This week the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) launched its new online resource  The Center for Changing Our Campus Culture, a comprehensive online clearinghouse on sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campus.  This website provides information, materials and resources for campus administrators, faculty and staff, as well as campus and community law enforcement, victim service providers, students, parents and other key stakeholders to use to improve campus safety.
The web site includes a section on prevention with topics such as bystander intervention, online prevention, art and theater, peer education, social norms and awareness campaigns.  Many of the resources identified on this web site are PreventConnect podcasts, web conferences and eLearning units.
National attention has also driven policy changes in California and new requirements for California campuses. In response, and to better equip campuses and their rape crisis center partners, CALCASA released “Student Safety, Justice, and Support: Policy Guidelines for Campuses Addressing Sexual Assault, Dating/Domestic Violence an Stalking“.
CALCASA is dedicated to supporting campuses as they develop policies and protocols for responding to and preventing sexual assault. Partnerships with rape crisis centers and other community-based organizations are key in providing comprehensive information and resources to student survivors.