Senate Bill 12-13-40
| Bill ID: | 12-13-40 |
| Name: | Proposal to Mandate Sexual Assault Prevention Education for Students |
| Proposed: | 01/27/2013 |
| Sponsor: | Lauren Redding, Undergraduate Student |
| Proposal: | According to VI-1.30(A) UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PROCEDURES ON SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MISCONDUCT, "The University is committed to educating the campus community about the nature and consequences of sexual misconduct." The policy pledges a commitment to prevention education, yet does nothing to make sure every student receives this critical information. This university policy should be amended to mandate sexual assault prevention education for every incoming student (freshmen and transfer) to address this urgent issue. According to the Department of Justice, 1 in 5 female students will become a victim of sexual violence during her time in college. 1 in 5 women will also be in an abusive relationship during college. According to a 2000 University of Maryland study, 13.8 percent of UMD women will be a victim of rape during their time on this campus. Sexual assault is not just a women's issue: One in seven men will also be sexually assaulted while in college. This is a serious problem on this campus. From 2011-2012, the university's Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program (SARPP) saw 76 new clients - including 20 rape victims, 17 sexual assault victims, five gang rape victims, six attempted rape victims, nine relationship violence victims and 12 stalking victims. It's important to note that sexual assault is an extremely underreported crime. Statistically, according to the Department of Justice, only 5 percent of victims report the crime. The 76 clients that SARPP served last year is just the tip of the iceberg. Sexual assault is a complex issue; prevention will not be achieved solely by hanging posters about consent in dorm hallways. Given these startling statistics, the university needs to be more proactive in educating its students about the nuances of this issue, how to get consent, how drinking affects consent, the consequences of sexual assault, etc. SARPP presents on these topics whenever requested, but too many students are missing out on this education. They shouldn't be given the choice of whether or not they want to learn about sexual assault, because it's a reality every student at this university must deal with. Establishing a mandatory sexual assault prevention program is also a component of the Department of Justice grant that SARPP is currently re-applying for. The program will be more likely to receive funding - and likely more funding than previously given - if such a mandate is in place. |
| Active? | No |
Status
| Status: | Completed |
History
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Joint President/Senate Sexual Harassment Policies & Procedures Task Force |
| Received: | 2013-02-06 |
| Decision Due By: | 2013-10-11 |
| Decision: | Any related recommendations pertaining to this proposal will be included in the Task Force's final report (Senate Doc #11-12-43). |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2013-01-28 |
| Decision Date: | 2013-02-01 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to forward the proposal to the Sexual Harassment Task Force for consideration. |
| Actions: | The SEC voted to forward the proposal to the Joint President/Senate Sexual Harassment Task Force for consideration as part of its overall charge (see http://www.senate.umd.edu/taskforces/sexualharassment/index.cfm). |
| Next Step: | Joint President/Senate Sexual Harassment Task Force |
| Related Files: |