In October 2011, Professors Caroline Heldman and Lisa Wade of Occidental College gave this presentation to President Jonathan Veitch, Dean Barbara Avery, and Dean Erica O'Neal Howard to provide an overview of sexual assault on Oxy's campus (using original data they had collected with Oxy students) and to provide best practices for improving the sexual assault climate, programming, policy, and procedures on Occidental College's campus. In response, President Veitch shared that he wanted to make Occidental a "national leader" for its treatment and handling of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Nearly two years later, because of ongoing sexual assault issues on campus and a lack of institutional response to improve these issues, OSAC is filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights for Title IX violations and a Clery Act complaint for continued misreporting of sexual misconduct on Occidental College's campus.

1. Caroline Heldman, PhD
Lisa Wade, PhD

2.  TheU.S. has the highest rate of rape of all
countries that publish such data.

3.  The U.S. has the highest rate of rape of all
countries that publish such data.
 College women are at higher risk than their
non-college peers.

4.  The U.S. has the highest rate of rape of all
countries that publish such data.
 College women are at higher risk than their
non-college peers.
 It is estimated that between 10% and 25%
of college women will be sexually
assaulted.

5.  The U.S. has the highest rate of rape of all
countries that publish such data.
 College women are at higher risk than their
non-college peers.
 It is estimated that between 10% and 25%
of college women will be sexually
assaulted.
 At Occidental College, this translates into
between 30 and 115 cases annually.

6.  Telling
women how to avoid sexual assault
doesn’t work.

7.  Tellingwomen how to avoid sexual assault
doesn’t work.
 Most campus rapes are perpetuated by
4% of college men who are repeat
offenders.

8.  Tellingwomen how to avoid sexual assault
doesn’t work.
 Most campus rapes are perpetuated by
4% of college men who are repeat
offenders.
 Predatory sexual behavior is normalized…

9.  Tellingwomen how to avoid sexual assault
doesn’t work.
 Most campus rapes are perpetuated by
4% of college men who are repeat
offenders.
 Predatory sexual behavior is normalized…
 …so bystanders don’t intervene and
perpetrators aren’t stigmatized.

10.  Fewerthan 5% of completed and
attempted assaults are reported.

11.  Fewer than 5% of completed and
attempted assaults are reported.
 Fewer than 1% of U.S. college campuses
have “promising practices” to address
sexual assault (Department of Justice).

12. • Sexual Culture on Campus
• Institutional Features
• Education/Prevention
• Reporting
• Process

13.  Rape culture is a culture in which coercive
and aggressive sexual behavior by men is
trivialized, glamorized, or romanticized.

14.  Rape culture is a culture in which coercive
and aggressive sexual behavior by men is
trivialized, glamorized, or romanticized.
 Hook up culture is an imperative to have
casual sex alongside a suppression of
actual communication about sex.

15.  Rape culture is a culture in which coercive
and aggressive sexual behavior by men is
trivialized, glamorized, or romanticized.
 Hook up culture is an imperative to have
casual sex alongside a suppression of
actual communication about sex.
 Few students actually like this, but they are
in a state of pluralistic ignorance.

16.  Aneffective rape/sexual assault prevent
program has to…
• …change campus sexual culture.

17.  Residence Hall Design

18.  Residence Hall Design
 Alcohol Policies

19.  Residence Hall Design
 Alcohol Policies
 (Lack of) Social Programming

20.  Residence Hall Design
 Alcohol Policies
 (Lack of) Social Programming
 Nature of Campus-Endorsed Events

21.  Aneffective rape/sexual assault prevent
program has to…
• …change campus sexual culture.
• …address institutional features that are facilitating
rape/sexual assault.

22.  Being a victim is stigmatized.

23.  Being a victim is stigmatized.
 Victims anticipate an ineffective response.

24.  Being a victim is stigmatized.
 Victims anticipate an ineffective response.
 The victim likely knows the perpetrator
(and so do other students and staff).

25.  Being a victim is stigmatized.
 Victims anticipate an ineffective response.
 The victim likely knows the perpetrator
(and so do other students and staff).
 Victims have a hard time conceptualizing
their experience as “assault.”

26.  Aneffective rape/sexual assault prevent
program has to…
• …change campus sexual culture.
• …address institutional features that are facilitating
rape/sexual assault.
• …increase the reporting to more accurately reflect
what is happening on campus.

27.  Interventions need to be early and
ongoing.

28.  Interventions need to be early and
ongoing.
 Content needs to address rape myths and
larger issues related to gender and
sexuality.

29.  Interventions need to be early and
ongoing.
 Content needs to address rape myths and
larger issues related to gender and
sexuality.
 Interventions should target perpetrators
and bystanders.

30.  Aneffective rape/sexual assault prevent
program has to…
• …change campus sexual culture.
• …address institutional features that are facilitating
rape/sexual assault.
• …increase the reporting to more accurately reflect
what is happening on campus.
• …involve immediate and on-going programming
that targets perpetrators, bystanders, and culture.

31.  The process of reporting must attend to
the needs of victims.

32.  The process of reporting must attend to
the needs of victims.
 Adjudication:
• cannot require participation of the victim.

33.  The process of reporting must attend to
the needs of victims.
 Adjudication:
• cannot require participation of the victim.
• needs to be independent of administrators.

34.  The process of reporting must attend to
the needs of victims.
 Adjudication:
• cannot require participation of the victim.
• needs to be independent of administrators.
• requires a standing, effectively-trained committee.

35.  The process of reporting must attend to
the needs of victims.
 Adjudication:
• cannot require participation of the victim.
• needs to be independent of administrators.
• requires a standing, effectively-trained committee.
• should be reviewed and revised as needed.

36.  The process of reporting must attend to
the needs of victims.
 Adjudication:
• cannot require participation of the victim.
• needs to be independent of administrators.
• requires a standing, effectively-trained committee.
• should be reviewed and revised as needed.
 Justicemay be facilitated by a graduated
penalty system that allows for therapeutic
interventions.

37.  Aneffective rape/sexual assault prevent
program has to…
• …change campus sexual culture.
• …address institutional features that are facilitating
rape/sexual assault.
• …increase the reporting to more accurately reflect
what is happening on campus.
• …involve immediate and on-going programming
that targets perpetrators, bystanders, and culture.
• …involve a fair reporting and adjudication process
that allows for perpetrator rehabilitation.