Rattlers Agains Sexual Violence Saint Marys University

Due south BEND — Nearly i in x Saint Mary's College students say they have been sexually assaulted since starting at the college, according to the results of a campus climate survey administered to students in early 2016.

More than half of those who reported existence assaulted said they had been victimized more than once during college.

Of students who said they were assaulted, nigh said the assault occurred on some other campus or at an off-campus location. Several high-contour cases that have attracted public attention in recent years have involved Saint Mary'southward students who criminate they were sexually assaulted past University of Notre Dame students.

Of students who said they experienced sexual assault, most said it happened during their first or 2nd year in college, and three-quarters of the cases involved alcohol consumption past the victim and/or the assailant.

The results of the survey were released Monday by Saint Mary's.

In the survey, sexual set on was defined every bit behavior ranging from unwanted kissing and fondling to rape.

While the 1 in 10 figure is lower than reported at some other colleges, it's still also loftier, Saint Mary's President Jan Cervelli said Monday.

"We certainly have a way to go," she said. "Nada tolerance is the policy on this campus."

The survey results points to a need for greater collaboration between Saint Mary'southward, Notre Dame and Holy Cantankerous College in addressing the effect, and also examining the office alcohol plays, Cervelli said.

Saint Mary'southward administrators are seeking a memorandum of agreement with neighboring Notre Dame and Holy Cross outlining steps to be followed when a case of sexual assault is reported that involves students from at least 2 of the campuses. Cervelli said she is encouraged by the progress of the discussions so far.

Saint Mary's senior Caylin McCallick, who served as a member of the campus sexual assault chore force, noted the link betwixt alcohol consumption and sexual assault.

"We need to change our culture regarding alcohol use," McCallick said. While the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's communities don't rank high on lists of "party schools," alcohol is very accessible, fifty-fifty to those who are under 21, she said.

McCallick said she personally knows at least iv Saint Mary's students who have been sexually assaulted. "This is not but a women'due south consequence or a college event. It's important for people to educate themselves about the reality of sexual attack," she said.

The college's Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) this calendar week is sponsoring "It'south On Usa" week, a national campaign to raise sensation about sexual assault. Events include the report's release and an "It'southward On Us" drive where students may sign a pledge to work against gender-based violence.

Saint Mary's has established a permanent sexual assault task force that includes five students, too as faculty, administrators and staff. The higher over the summertime assigned its human resource director to part as the campus Title IX coordinator. The higher's legal counsel had previously served equally Title 9 coordinator, but federal officials said that could create a disharmonize of involvement.

The survey'southward goal was to determine the campus climate on the issue of sexual assault and to work toward means to eliminate information technology.

The higher administered the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Consortium'southward Sexual Attack Climate Survey. The 9.v pct of Saint Mary's respondents who reported beingness sexually assaulted compares to a 12 per centum rate among women respondents overall at 49 HEDS schools that conducted the survey. (Except for Saint Mary's, all the other colleges were co-educational.)

Saint Mary'due south is primarily a Cosmic undergraduate women'southward college. Some men are enrolled in graduate programs, and Notre Matriarch students are eligible to take some classes at Saint Mary's.

Ninety-4 percent of students who responded to the survey said they feel condom on the Saint Mary'due south campus.

Only xiii percent of Saint Mary's students who were victims reported post-obit the college's procedures for making a formal report about the assail. Of those who reported, 67 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the college's response, while 33 percent said they were very dissatisfied. Xxx-three percent of the Saint Mary's pupil body answered the anonymous survey.

Ballad Ann Mooney, so Saint Mary'south president, in 2015 created a task force of students and employees to examine the issue of sexual assault and sexual misconduct as it affects students. Mooney retired in June.

The job force was formed after the release of a motion-picture show documentary, "The Hunting Ground," near the result of sexual violence on college cam­puses. Three sexual attack cases involving Notre Dame and Saint Mary'south students were high­lighted in the motion picture. Students at the fourth dimension raised concerns near the higher's handing of sex assault cases and system for supporting victims.

Read the total report at: goo.gl/yxifKl.

Notre Dame survey results

At the University of Notre Dame, vi percent of women students and 2 percent of male students indicated in early 2015 that they had personally experienced not-consensual sexual intercourse while enrolled at Notre Dame.

An additional nineteen percent of women students and 4 percent of male students indicated they had personally experienced other forms of not-consensual sexual contact, according to the results of a campus climate survey the university released in Apr 2016.

Student responses indicated there are a variety of barriers at Notre Dame that prevent victims from reporting incidents of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or sexual set on. Discomfort in discussing the details of the incident and fear their reputation would be damaged are the two virtually serious barriers (64 per centum and 61 percent), co-ordinate to the responses.

The survey was developed past Notre Dame, with some questions included from surveys conducted at peer institutions. About 38 percentage of students participated in the bearding survey. See the complete study at: titleix.nd.edu/student-climate-survey.

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Source: https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/education/in-saint-mary-s-students-report-being-sexually-assaulted/article_8f8a17e6-8f2a-11e6-8bb6-8f5bda93b9ae.html

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