As the “yes-means-yes” campus sexual assault bill awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature, Fresno State officials aren’t waiting to take action on the issue of sexual assault on college campuses.
Institutional Compliance Administrator Brittany Grice explained the campus’ current measures regarding sexual assault cases to Associated Students, Inc. senators Wednesday afternoon during a senate meeting. She also asked for its support in future endeavors to combat sexual violence.
“This is a national issue,” Grice said. “Sexual assault is something that is of concern on every college campus, and we continue to look at how we can change the culture across college campuses in this country.”
The California Senate recently took action in an effort to tackle college sexual assault in the state passing the “yes-means-yes” bill, formally known as SB 967.
The bill would require college students at universities providing financial aid to recognize affirmative consent and to agree to all investigations of sexual assault, in an extension of the regulations already implemented with the Clery Act. Gov. Brown has until September 30 to sign the bill.
Fresno State has already enacted measures to curb the issue that has affected 19 percent of college women in the nation according to a study conducted for the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice. An earlier violence awareness measure enacted in March of this year, called HAVEN, mandated that all incoming students, freshmen or transfer students, be educated on what constitutes as sexual assault and their rights should they become a victim.
Grice attended every Dog Days event this summer to help inform students of the issues they may face, and she asked ASI for its support in expanding such programs for the future, as well as for its representation in a new multidisciplinary team to address such issues more quickly.
“It’s important that students join in this conversation and be a very loud voice in this effort to change the climate,” Grice said.
These support programs provide a more “survivor-centric” approach to aid victims of abuse through peer-support.
Melissa Knight, a Fresno State women’s studies lecturer, said that sex crimes on college campuses are “woefully under-reported,” and that abuse is not limited to women alone. Men too are victims, and such cases are even more under-reported, she said.
Knight said that these support programs are not only essential to aid victims of abuse, but are essential in preventing future ones, as well.
“We need to act proactively and preemptively to reduce the incidents of sexual terrorism,” Knight said. “Peer-support groups are absolutely powerful tools in supporting victims.”
Knight explained that the term “sexual assault” constitutes more than rape. Such programs would aid victims of domestic abuse, psychological abuse and victims of stalking.