Assaults of a sexual nature have seen a great increase in public attention in recent years and for good reason. All across the nation we are becoming more and more aware of how great a problem this sort of crime is. Late July saw the inclusion of the latest measure to address the issue hit the Senate floor.
A group of Senators, both Republican and Democrat, led by Senator Warner of Virginia, introduced the measure which is known as the ~Campus~Safety~and~Accountability~Act. It is a robust measure with provisions for steps at many levels, including an improvement in the reporting of incidents, better training for officers and faculty on the issue, and elements designed to increase accountability and transparency at the institutional level.
A January study produced in the White House reported that 1 in 5 female college students are victims of assault though only 1 in 8 file reports on the assault.
Under the Act’s provisions, campuses will have to have advisers available for confidential reporting, a yearly survey of students at all university level institutions in the nation will collect information on sex related violence and a single standardized process for investigation and discipline will be implemented on all campuses preventing departments from investigating complaints accusing their own members.