Haskell, Hwang, Rally For Protection Against College Sex Assault

From CT Government: Today, a bipartisan coalition of legislators on the Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee, including committee Co-Chairs State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) and State Representative Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield), Ranking Member State Senator Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) and Vice Chairs State Senator Mae Flexer (D) and State Representative Gary Turco (D-Newington), gathered in the State Capitol's Old Judiciary Room in support of legislation designed to change the climate of college campuses and provide additional protections against sexual assault.

Representatives from the Every Voice Coalition and the Connecticut Coalition to End Sexual Violence joined the legislators to further advocate for the legislation.

"When a new student walks onto a college campus, they're usually promised that they're entering a safe space. They're told that dormitories and classrooms will provide the support they need to pursue academic endeavors and transition into adulthood. All of this should be true," said Sen. Haskell. "But tragically, many students can not feel safe due to the epidemic of sexual violence. Recent data reveals that as many as one in five women and one in 16 men will be sexually assaulted before graduating college – and 90 percent of those assaults will go unreported."

"Connecticut institutions of higher education are doing great work in preventing sexual assaults from occurring on college campuses through strong policies including educating their students bodies about consent and implementing bystander intervention trainings," said Rep. Haddad. "But we can always do better. A recent AAU study indicates that nationally, over 1 in 10 of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. This bill’s goal is to improve the quality of information about what is occurring on campuses and it also works to remove barriers that might exist to reporting instances of sexual assault, intimate partner violence and harassment."

"Senate Bill 19 will make great strides in enabling proper protections for Connecticut's future. College students need the assurance that they are in a safe environment and they should feel empowered to report any degree of misconduct," said Sen. Hwang. "I am proud to be part of the team putting our students' safety first."

"The individual and cumulative impact of sexual violence on the more than 200,000 total students living across Connecticut is difficult to comprehend or measure, but is grave," said the Every Voice Coalition. "We ourselves have seen and experienced firsthand the human, social, financial, and academic cost that sexual violence imposes on students, families, and communities. Survivors of sexual violence not only confront trauma from the act of violence, but also endure the continued trauma presented by the lack of support they face. SB-19's campus climate survey requirement will equip universities with the insights to understand and effectively respond to high rates of sexual violence on campus. The amnesty policy mandate in the bill further ensures a safe avenue for all students to report the violence that has impacted them.

Sexual violence is a complex issue, but clearly more must be done to support students and survivors in Connecticut and to prevent sexual violence. SB-19 is this next step," the Coalition said.

"We know that many instances of campus sexual misconduct involve alcohol or drugs, and that is why we support the amnesty provision in the bill," said Bridget Koestler, Campus Services Coordinator for the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. "Students will have the confidence to report if they do not fear disciplinary action from the university or college."

Senate Bill 19, "An Act Concerning Sexual Misconduct on College Campuses," proposes two changes on college campuses. If made law, the legislation would establish a sexual misconduct climate survey for use by Connecticut colleges and universities. It would also protect students who report being victims or witnesses of sexual assault, stalking or violence against potential disciplinary action by the college or university they attend.

The survey in question would anonymously gather information about incidents of sexual assault and misconduct, students' knowledge of procedures and rules in place regarding sexual assault, contextual factors and demographic information. A task force would then analyze survey results and publish a report based on the findings.

Restrictions on disciplinary action in the legislation are designed to protect students who may have been victims or witnesses of sexual misconduct in situations where individuals may have been acting outside of institutional guidelines. Fear of punishment is another factor victims must face when reporting such incidents.

The Every Voice Coalition is comprised of students, survivors, young alumni and allies seeking to combat sexual violence on all college campuses. It seeks to make all campuses safe to all students.

The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence aims to create communities free of sexual violence and provide advocacy, prevention and intervention services, hoping to lead to the creation of a world where everyone believes sexual violence is a preventable problem and actively plays a role in ending it.

The press release was produced by CT Government. The views are the author's own.