In April 2011, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to colleges and public and private K-12 schools outlining their duties under Title IX, a federal civil rights law that bans sexual discrimination, harassment and violence.
Some of the measures designed to prevent sexual violence that are recommended by the OCR include:
- Publishing a notice of nondiscrimination
- Designating an employee to coordinate Title IX compliance
- Adopting and publishing grievance procedures
- Providing education and training that covers what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence, the school’s policies and disciplinary procedures and the consequences of violating these policies:
- Orientation programs for new students, faculty, staff and employees
- Training for students who serve as advisors in resident halls
- Training for student athletes and coaches
- School assemblies and back-to-school nights
- Developing specific sexual violence materials that include the school’s policies, rules and resources for students, faculty, coaches and administrators. Materials should include where and to whom students should go if they are victims of sexual violence. The materials should also tell students and school employees what to do if they learn of an incident of sexual violence.
Related Articles:
- Sexual Assault Statistics
- Bystanders: Your Best Weapon Against Sexual Assault
- Sexual Assault Prevention Education: Getting the Message Through to Students
- Campus Sexual Assaults: How Community Policing Can Make a Difference
- How the U. of Rhode Island Sobered Up
- Preventing and Responding to Campus Sexual Assaults
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