Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the United States and institutions of higher education are not immune. As such, all universities should enact policies and programs designed to reduce the effects of sexual assault on campus. While exploring this webpage, one will find that the focus of this effort is to explore the impact sexual assault has on students residing in university sponsored residence halls and ways to assist in assuring that students are reasonably safe from the effects of sexual assault. For the purpose of this exercise, Western Michigan University will be the test campus. Some demographic information on Western include it being a coeducational, state university with approximately 27,000 students with 6,000 of these students living within the residence halls. Listed below, there are many programs, policies, and ideas that might be effective in reducing the effects of domestic violence in the residence halls.

When exploring the issue of sexual assault, it is of the utmost importance that the university administration examine policies and make changes needed to assure that offenders are punished and policy guidelines are assisting those who are victims of sexual assault. The first policy which should be enacted is that of providing specific disciplinary measures for students who are found to have sexually assaulted another student. Although many administrators lump sexual assault under other policies, it is important to have a separate sexual assault policy defining what sexual assault is and what occurs when a student is found responsible. One reason to have a sexual assault policy in place is to assure that all students are aware that the university takes a firm stance on sexual assault and is intolerant of such behavior. Having a written policy also helps in bringing sexual assault to the attention of the campus community. By having a sexual assault policy, the university will send the message that it does not push sexual assault cases "underground."

The first action that needs to occur is that of gathering knowledgeable persons to draft a plan on how to best deal with sexual assault issues on campus. Administrators should not attempt to create a plan of action by themselves; consulting university offices and external resources is vital if the university is to be successful in this endeavor. To develop a comprehensive and successful sexual assault prevention and intervention program, it is vital that a task force is formed, with representatives from all interested university departments and community agencies. The best way to make a program successful is to have many people providing input and volunteering their skills. By reaching out to university departments and community agencies, the administration will assure that everybody with a vested interest in the sexual assault program has a voice and a vote, thereby reducing the chances that any department or agency will feel marginalized or placed "outside the loop." The task force should contain, at minimum, the following department and agencies: Division of Student Affairs, Office of Residence Life, Counseling Office, Public Safety, Sindecuse Health Center, Womenıs Center, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Issues, local hospitals, local rape crisis centers, and any student organizations that voice an interest. All policies and programs listed below were voted on an approved by this fictitious task force. Having many individuals involved in the decision making process, this increases the chances that the individual departments and agencies will cooperate with the goals of the task force, while also reducing the risk that mistakes and oversights will go unnoticed. After the sexual assault program commences, the task force should then have the continuing responsibility of monitoring the program, summative and formative evaluations, and suggesting changes. Using the task force model should provide for maximum input into the process and produce the best results.

Looking at the services which should be offered, it might be advantageous to begin with services and programs aimed at primary prevention. Law enforcement is key to meeting this objective because they are charged with the overall protection of the university. One way to reduce the frequency of sexual assault may be to increase the police presence on campus. While hiring additional police officers may prove to be expensive, a viable option may be to hire students to patrol campus and report any suspicious activity. Having an extra set of eyes to alert police may prove to be just as effective as hiring additional police officers. When patrolling campus, it is vital that police enter the residence halls and walk through the buildings several times per day. H istorically, residence halls have been under the exclusive purview of residence life, something which must change. In a society where crime is increasingly common, the police should not be restricted from entering the residence halls as a result of this historical expectation. Working together, the residence life staff and police can work together to make the residence halls more safe. Increased police presence throughout campus will prove to be effective in reducing the overall crime rate. Another goal of working with the police department, residence life can use this support to develop an informative publication which can be hung on the doorknob of each residence hall rooms describing the dangers of sexual assault and the preventative steps that students can take to reduce their chances of being victimized. By providing this type of information, residence life and the police can work together to educate the campus while also giving students the necessary information.

Physical security measures must also be looking into to assure that the university is providing adequate security measures to keep students, faculty, and staff safe. One program being implemented on Westernıs campus is security phones being placed in strategic locations across campus. The rationale behind the emergency phone program is to give community members who are not inside a campus building an immediate communications link to public safety. When a student is in a vulnerable position, like in a sexual assault, having emergency telephones nearby is a good way for the potential victim or a bystander to notify police. Although the emergency telephone program should not be viewed as providing total security, they do provide a wonderful service that could be useful in some situations when the victim is able to reach the phone. In short, the emergency phone program should be greatly expanded with all parking lots, public areas, and athletic fields having an emergency phone.

Parking lots are another dangerous area on campus. At night, when lighting may be inadequate, parking lots can be a vulnerable location for a student retrieving a car. Increasing the lighting for all parking lots and structures should be the first goal of this program. At first, the university should brightly light several parking lots around campus and notify the campus community that those who require nighttime parking should use these lighted parking lots. Notification of the community that "safer" lots exist can be another step in reducing student vulnerability. Over time, however, the university should make a concerted effort to properly light all parking lots. A second step in the parking lot security program may be to install video cameras that monitor all campus parking facilities. Preferably, these cameras should be monitored by a person, but videotaping will suffice if hiring a person to monitor the cameras is too expensive. High risk parking lots should receive the video monitoring equipment first with lower risk lots being provided a video link as funding permits. Over time, this type of program could be expanded to cover other public areas of campus. Although having cameras on campus decreases the privacy of students walking on campus, such privacy concerns need to be weighed against safety needs. Providing video monitoring of campus gives the police extraordinary monitoring capability. When video surveillance is provided, many criminals will probably leave campus in search of an easier, less risky target. Both programs in this paragraph will not eliminate sexual assault but will make Western students less attractive targets.

Physical security of buildings should be a high priority to the task force. Currently, keys are being used to secure university buildings. This security scheme is not very secure because keys can be duplicated or not returned. Additionally, exterior doors to administrative, academic, and residence hall buildings are generally left unlocked during the daytime hours. With the exception of administrative buildings, where visitors are frequent, leaving these buildings open proves to be a huge safety concern. When looking at academic and residence hall facilities, the task force needs to review whether people not associated with these buildings need the ability to access these campus buildings. If not, they should be locked 24 hours a day, residence halls especially. Locking of buildings to outsiders will decrease the chances that a student will become a victim of sexual assault committed by a stranger while also protecting facilities from vandalism and other crime. Keys should be replaced by an electronic system. Providing for ID card readers at all building entrances will only allow for those associated with the university to enter. Electronic locking devises are advisable, if administered properly, because building access control can be adapted inexpensively when a person not longer requires access. Historically, universities have spent much money on key loss, something which can be eliminated by using an electronic system. By limiting access to campus buildings, while not totally removing the threat of assault, can limit the chance that a stranger rape will occur while inside a campus building.

One last physical security on campus that is recommended is that of providing escorts for students who express a need. Preferably, such an escort service would be employed 24 hours a day, but a more limited nighttime service should prove to be helpful in risk reduction. The escort program would be perfect for students to operate. If the program is run by a student staff, the associated costs will be much less then if it were staffed professionally. What the escort program should supply is a trained student who responds to any student who requests being driven to any spot on campus or in the local community. By picking up the student and safely delivering him or her to the final destination, the escort program has provided the security necessary for the student to feel safe while also reducing the chances that a crime could have occurred. When there are safety concerns on campus, providing for an escort program is a relatively inexpensive program to protect students. Administrators should also be attracted to this program because it is inexpensive to operate while also providing a valuable public relations tool on how Western is actively striving to reduce crime on campus, something which parents frequently question.

Another issue that accompanies policy issues is that of disciplining those who are found responsible for sexual assault. It is this writerıs view that sexual assault is a serious matter and should be treated as such by the campus judicial system. As such, a minimum punishment for those found reasonable for sexual assault should be a minimum one year suspension. If a student is not suspended, this sends a clear signal that sexual assault is not treated seriously and might even be given tacit approval by lack of serious enforcement. Removing the student who sexually assaulted another student achieves the goal of temporarily removing the offending students from contact with the victim and can also reduce the chances of recidivism.

One program that is an excellent model is one in use at Albion College (MI). One part of this authorıs employment duties as Assistant Director of Residence Life at Albion College is to provide supervision to a program house designed to teach students about the damage that domestic abuse has on the campus community while also giving victims a safe place to live if an assault occurs. Although the domestic abuse program house deals with more than sexual assault, this type of program is still a valuable asset to those trying to start a sexual assault prevention and assistance program. After a student is the victim of a sexual assault, generally (s)he feel violated and providing for a temporary change in living environment can be very positive. The Albion College domestic violence house has one room designated for students who have been assaulted. Providing this safe, supportive living environment for students who have been sexually assaulted proves to be very effective in making sure that the well-being of the student is monitored. The purpose for having such a program house is to assure that students have a safe place to live after being assaulted while also being in the presence of peers who are interested in the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault. Having a caring group of peers who are looking after the needs of the victim may provide some additional security than remaining in a residence hall.

Developing a peer educators network to speak in classes, residence halls, and to the general university community is a great way to increase awareness of sexual assault and provide information on the resources and services provided by the university. Those students who are peer educators would be a natural fit for living within the program house. Educating students about domestic violence issues will increase the general awareness on campus while also giving those involved the ability to learn and take these newfound skills out into the workplace and society at large. Although the peer educators have official speaking engagements, general social interaction will also pass along information because peer educators also live in the residence halls, have friends, and are involved in student organizations. Even though such contact is not part of the official duty of a peer educator, these ambassadors provide for good role models to sensitize the campus to the issues that surround sexual assault.

When thinking of curbing sexual assault, most campus administrators do not ponder the effect that banning alcohol on campus will have on the sexual assault rate. During the data collection, this writer was unable to find any figures which support my hypothesis that having a "dry campus" reduces the frequency of sexual assault. However, there has been research conducted stating that when alcohol is banned from campus, the rates of vandalism, physical assault, and violence significantly decrease. When looking at the rates of sexual assault, it is a good bet that if a campus were to ban alcohol, a similar reduction for sexual assault cases would be found. Alcohol is a powerful drug that alters the conscience of those people who are under its influence. Taking alcohol out of the residence halls might have the effect of removing a key enabler of sexual assault.

Intervention is another key issue to confront and deal with the problem of sexual assault. Since residence hall staff have the most direct contact with students, it might be wise to work with other departments to draft a staff training program designed to inform staff on the symptoms of sexual assault and how to effectively intervene. Having resident staff educated on issues surrounding sexual assault, this allows for staff to notice evidence of sexual assault and refer the victim or the violator to the proper campus and law enforcement officials. Every year during staff training, it would be a good idea for the residence life staff to be exposed to training that sensitizes them to the effects, symptoms, and interventions needed to effectively deal with the issues of sexual assault. If staff are not trained on sexual assault issues, many victims will go unnoticed, which could lead to a lawsuit because the university "knew or should have known" about the sexual abuse problem on campus but did nothing to protect students from this danger. In short, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

When administrators think of sexual assault services, frequently such services are automatically aimed towards meeting the needs of female victims. Needless to say, this mentality does not address the entire situation because men can and are victims. However, when programs are designed, such as providing shelter for victims, these programs typically are geared towards meeting the needs of female clientele, leaving male victims without the same degree of assistance. When designing a sexual assault program, it is vital that all policies, programs, and services are gender neutral and able to assist either sex. Although females are undoubtedly most frequently victims in sexual assault cases, men are becoming more frequent victims because society does not place as much of a stigma on this type of abuse as in the past. Additionally, with gay males finding increased acceptance in society, this segment of the population is also in need of comprehensive and sensitive sexual assault services. Obviously, it is vital to plan sexual assault interventions to assure that males are provided the same or similar services that are offered to females.

One method to increase sexual assault awareness and readiness is to create a Sexual Assault Services Center and hire a full-time staff member to oversee the program and coordinate the services needed to properly address the needs of sexual assault victims. Although creating such a position can be expensive, the benefits can far outweigh the expense, especially because of the good press that having such a prevention program can offer. Having a more comprehensive program geared towards supporting the needs of sexual assault victims can produce many positive results, such as: increase retention rate, self-defense classes, peer support network, and many others. There are many offices on campus that can be an invaluable resource to sexual assault victims but these offices frequently are not properly trained, through little fault of their own, to be a part of a comprehensive campus-wide support system.

After a sexual assault, there are many support systems that must swing into action. One of the most vital is the Department of Public Safety. If a report is filed, usually the first agency to intervene will be the police, meaning that police officers should be knowledgeable about sexual assault issues and how to properly support the victim while also being able to collect the information need for a possible criminal investigation; sometimes these two objectives clash and the university community views the police as being insensitive towards the needs of sexual assault victims. One issue that should be addressed by the police is to contact a local domestic violence shelter and have a professional train officers on how to respond to a victim. Until officers are properly trained on how to be supportive, they are not willfully being insensitive, but rather are ignorant. A second issue to investigate is that of making sure that a female officer is available 24 hours a day to assist in sexual assault cases. Frequently, especially after a woman has been victimized by a man, she will feel more comfortable working with a female officer. It is important that the police department not minimize this feeling; the person has been victimized one, the police certainly do not have to add additional trauma to the situation by placing a male into the scenario.

Upon reporting to the police, typically the next agency to work with the client would be medical personnel. Since sexual assault has been in the forefront of medicine for many years, doctors should not have very many issues, concerns, or questions about working with sexual assault victims. However, the police must work with university or community hospitals to assure that there is a clear understanding of the most appropriate medical facility to refer victims. Although doctors should be prepared to work with sexual assault victims, since the referral agency will most likely be the police, there is a need for interagency communication, which might not currently be present, to make sure that the most appropriate referral is made. Of course, after the medical facility has taken over, it is important that sensitivity is provided while also collecting the evidence needed for the police investigation. Doctors need to balance both of these responsibilities carefully and assure that all due sensitivity is being used.

Waiting periods and sensitivity issues are two which are of primary concern when working with sexual assault victims. After a person has been sexually assaulted, it may be necessary for the victim to seek medical attention, either for medical care or evidence gathering. First, it is vital that the medical system not make a victim wait for any undue amount of time in a waiting room. Prompt service is very important. Likewise, staff should be made available, without interruption, to provide uninterrupted services to sexual assault patients. Second, all medical staff who come into contact with sexual assault victims should undergo training on how to best work with these patients. In such training, the medical practitioner should be taught to treat patients in a positive and respectful manner, something which currently does not always occur. Lastly, even though there appears to be some bias in this instance, all medial staff examining the victim should be of the same-sex, unless the victim is gay or lesbian. After being sexually assaulted, having an opposite sex person collecting evidence and conducting a medical examination can feel like being victimized a second time. Medical doctors need to be sensitive to this need and provide adequate staffing so sexual assault victims can be guaranteed this basic wish.

After medical treatment has been provided, it may be necessary for officials to relocate the victim due to potential security concerns. Such a relocation may be due to the proximity to the abuser or could be purely an emotional issue. Although the program house idea described above is a good option, it may be necessary for the university to have ties with a local domestic violence shelter to take in a victim. Even the best planned university program may not be able to predict the variables associated with sexual abuse, making a second relocation option desirable. Likewise, having ties with a local shelter may prove to be advantageous because local professionals may be able to better cope with unforeseen issues for which the university may be unprepared. Part of the task force goal should be to identify program limitations and make alternative arrangements to fulfill the unmet need. Local shelters may have funding and staff which can provide services far superior to those offered on campus; a university should not be viewed as being an "island within a city," a partnership should be developed so that both the city and university can benefit from the arrangement.

Next, the Division of Student Affairs needs to sensitize the offices under its control to meet the needs of sexually assaulted students. There are many examples of offices within Student Affairs which should be involved in sexual assault educational, intervention, and awareness activities. The Counseling Office is one that quickly comes to mind. After a sexual assault occurs, it is vital that the university provide adequate counseling services to the victim. There should be at least one counselor on staff who has experience working with sexually assaulted clients. In addition to the direct services offered by Student Affairs, the division should also provide funding for speakers to lecture in classes and residence halls, provide monies for publication of awareness and prevention materials, and run public service announcements about sexual assault issues on the college operated television system. By looking at the sexual abuse program from many different viewpoints, Student Affairs should be an integral part of any plan put into motion by the task force. As an entity that probably has the most contact with students, Student Affairs is a logical choice to administer or assist in many or all program listed on this webpage.

When the task force is working with the Counseling Office, it is important to take a multifaceted approach. Of course, at first, it is important that the Counseling Office provide immediate crisis counseling for the days or weeks that follow a sexual assault. In this time of crisis, it is vital that the victim receive counseling because of the violation that has occurred and all of the decision making that must be done during this time frame. Some of the decisions that might be made during this time include: should I file criminal charges, should I go back to work right away, financial concerns, safety issues, housing, and many others. While making these decisions, most rape victims will probably find it comforting having a counselor or other support per son to assist him or her in making these decisions. Additionally, another group that one might start is a sexual assault survivors group. Placing a recent victim in a peer led group such as this will put the victim into an environment where all participants have first hand knowledge of sexual assault and the damage that has been done. Having peer interaction can be quite comforting because the victim can use the experiences of others to help in making proper life decisions. Although having peer support i s one of the main foci of this group, one other positive aspect of a peer group can also be to escort the victim to trial. Often, when a sexual assault victim testifies in a criminal trial, it brings back many of the horrible experiences that occurred many months ago. One purpose of the sexual assault survivors group can be to assure that every victim is provided with an escort to the trial for emotional support. Going through a trial can be very emotionally draining, whereby having a peer supporter can prove very helpful.

One additional area which the sexual assault survivors group can prove to be helpful is to conduct programs in classes, residence halls, and to campus organizations that give an overview of the damage that sexual assault causes and to sensitize the campus to the unique issues of sexual assault. When a program is presented in a class or residence hall, such a program can take a primary prevention approach by teaching those in attendance how to reduce the chances they will become a victim. By making students aware that sexual assault occurs on campus, this raises awareness and makes students more cautious and street smart about the dangers in the environment. Teaching students the need to travel in groups, carry pepper spray, and other other preventative measures can save someone from becoming another victim of sexual assault. While also stressing the need of being careful around strangers, the sexual assault survivors group can also inform the campus that many sexual assaults are caused by someone who is known by the victim. Many students who live in coeducational residence halls are very trusting of their opposite sex neighbors. Placing a healthy dose of skepticism into the minds of residence hall students may prove to be helpful in reducing the chances that another sexual assault will occur. Finally, the survivors group can also be helpful when speaking with student organizations about sexual assault issues. One area which student organizations can prove invaluable is being a support system for those who are victims of sexual assault. Frequently, the culture that pervades campus is one of blaming the victim. This viewpoint is frequently held by members of student organizations, making these groups a prime target for educational and informational programming. By targeting student organizations, the survivors group can make an impact by striving to create a more positive environment around campus for those students who have been victimized. With a little bit of effort, such educational programs, if used frequently and in different forms, can prove to be invaluable in changing attitudes about sexual assault. Until these negative attitudes towards sexual assault victims are changed, many of these victims will enter back into a society which places the blame on the victim, a very unsupportive and cruel presumption.

Providing support services for students who have been sexual assaulted should be a paramount goal of the task force. When designing which and what types of services are necessary, the task force should leave enough flexibility to ensure that further modifications and additions to programming can easily be achieved. After the task force has implemented the programs on this webpage, the students who are helped by this program should be given the opportunity to evaluate the programming efforts. Using the evaluation materials provided by clients, the task force should regularly review and improve programs and resources. The students who are being served by the sexual assaults programs can offer excellent advise for the future. It would be quite wise for the task force and the administration to utilize this advise to make the efforts of the task force that much more meaningful.

During the time the task force spends designing programs and services for sexual assault victims, I would advise not to leave out male victims. Often, services to male victims are not given the same priority as those aimed towards women. Granted, men are certainly a minority when it comes to sexual assault victimization, however, men can and are sexually assaulted and will require the same or similar services provided to women. Having several support groups for men may not be very feasible at an institution the size of Western because there may not be enough male victims to form a group, nonetheless, services should be adapted or created to meet the needs of the male victim. Even though men are taught to keep their feelings "locked up" and to not show emotion, it would be very neglectful if Western were to not provide servicesbecause of this flimsy societal expectation.

This brings us to the issue of funding. Since most of the departments in this document fall under the authority of the Division of Student Affairs, it would seem proper to utilize Student Affairs funding to support most of the programs. Money which could be utilized might come from the Student Activities Fee paid all students. However, funding should not be limited to Student Activities sources. A second source of funding may come from the Presidentıs Office, which frequently has discretionary funding to use for projects deemed important to the president. Lastly, tapping into external funding sources may prove to be successful. There are many foundations and individuals who are eager to fund programs aimed at increasing campus safety. While exploring the external sources of funding, one must not forget that equipment and services donations might be just as helpful as receiving cash.

In closing, working with victims of sexual assault can be a very difficult issue for professionals to undertake. Using some or all of the programs and services listed above can prepare professionals in the university, medical, and university community in the event that a sexual assault occurs. By taking steps to protect the university community, the task force and administration can improve the safety on campus, while keeping costs at a minimum. If a university is aware that a sexual assault problem exists on campus and does nothing to rectify the situation, the institution could be held civilly liable for any damages that may occur, a potentially costly situation. Using current services and funding, most of the services described above can be provided at little or no additional cost. When it comes to providing a safe environment, campus administrators must spend the money needed to assure that the campus is reasonably safe. In today's educational environment, where university budgets can be upwards of one-hundred million dollars, spend five-hundred thousand of that amount on safety appears very reasonable. However, at present, safety is not at the top of the priority list on many campuses. The task force should work at educating the campus community that such expenditures are necessary to meet safety needs. Think of what could be done if only five-hundred thousand additional dollars per year were earmarked for increasing programs and services aimed at making our campus a safer place to live and learn -- college students would live in a much safer environment.