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Sexual!Assault!Awareness!&!
Prevention!Task!Force!
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Report'&'Recommendations'
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2! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!

Table!of!Contents!
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Introduction....3!
Executive!Summary!.4!
Report!&!Recommendations....5!
!

Awareness......6!

Preventative!Education..8!

Survivor!Support...12!

Action!Plan....10!

Moving!Forward.......15!
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[Trigger!Warning]!This!document!discusses,!in!great!detail,!the!issue!
of!sexual!assault!and!violence,!and!contains!information!that!may!be!
triggering!for!survivors.!

AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 3

Introduction!
!

American!University!Community,!
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The! American! University! Student! Government! formed! a! Sexual! Assault! Awareness! &!
Prevention! Task! Force! in! May! of! 2014,! seeking! to! research! and! provide! to! the! American!
University!administration!recommendations!for!ways!to!target!the!issues!of!sexual!assault!and!
violence!on!campus:!to!raise!awareness,!prevent!future!occurrences,!and!provide!survivors!with!
necessary!resources.!The!Task!Force!brought!together!members!of!the!entire!AU!community,!
including!student!activists,!leaders!of!the!Greek!community,!members!of!the!student!body!atJ
large,!as!well!as!faculty!and!staff!representatives.!A!mission!statement!was!outlined!to!direct!
the!Task!Force!in!a!meaningful!and!productive!direction:!
!
The$American$University$Student$Government$Sexual$Assault$Awareness$&$Prevention$Task$Force$
seeks$to$research$and$provide$to$the$University$administration$recommendations$for$ways$in$which$to$target$
the$issues$of$sexual$assault$and$violence$on$campus$in$order$to$prevent$future$occurrences$and$provide$
survivors$with$necessary$resources.$The$Task$Force$will$work$closely$with$the$University$administration$to$
implement$proposals$and$promote$meaningful$discussion$about$cultural$changes$within$and$throughout$the$
campus$community.!

!
Collaboration!with!the!White!House!empowered!the!Task!Force!to!compile!national!and!
UniversityJspecific! data! that! have! driven! the! proposals! outlined! in! this! document.! National!
attention! on! the! issue! of! sexual! assault! through! the! Its! On! Us! campaign! has! provided! the!
necessary! platform! to! expand! the! conversation,! and! the! White! House! Task! Force! to! Protect!
Students!From!Sexual!Assaults!first!report,!Not$Alone,!is!the!foundation!upon!which!the!AU!Its!
On!Us!recommendations!are!built.!The!Task!Force!is!pleased!to!present!the!American!University!
community! with! its! Report! &! Recommendations.! It! is! our! collective! hope! that! this! document!
will!serve!as!a!resource!for!the!community,!and!a!catalyst!to!incite!meaningful!and!deliberate!
change!J!in!policy,!and!in!culture.!!
!
Sincerely,!!
!

Sophia!Wirth!

President!
American$University$Student$Government$

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Student!Representatives!
Abby!Dunn,!Maris!Feeley,!Amanda!Gould,!Kirby!Howell,!Patrick!Kelly,!Max!Marcucci,!
Gabe!Menchaca,!Regina!Monge,!Bryan!Paz,!Winston!Pingeon,!Leslie!Reid,!Wesley!Young!
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Faculty!&!Staff!Representatives!
Jane!E.!Palmer,!Ph.D,!M.S.W.,!Daniel!Rappaport,!Stef!Woods!

4! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!

Executive!Summary!
!

This!Task!Force!advocates!for!
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1.!The!creation!of!a!Sexual!Assault!Response!&!Prevention!Program! to!operate!out!of!

the!Wellness!Center!and!be!coordinated!by!the!Sexual!Assault!Prevention!Coordinator!
and!the!Coordinator!of!Victim!Advocacy!Services.!
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2.! The! offices! of! the! Sexual! Assault! Prevention! Coordinator! and! the! Coordinator! of!
Victim! Advocacy! Services! to! be! moved! to! the! third! floor! of! the! Mary! Graydon! Center!
upon!its!transition!from!being!used!as!swing!space.!
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3.! American! University! to! outline! a! plan! to! implement! in! the! next! three! years,!
mandatory! preventative! sexual! assault! education! for! all! members! of! the! university!
community.!Furthermore,!this!Task!Force!advocates!that!education!for!students!would!
begin! with! inJperson! training! freshmen! year,! and! continue! with! reinforced! education!
throughout!their!careers!at!American!University.!
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4.! Two! hours! to! be! dedicated! during! Welcome! Week! to! peerJfacilitated! inJperson!
sexual! assault! education! for! all! firstJyear! students! with! an! implied! mandate.! This!
education! must! include! consentJbased! education,! bystander! intervention! training,! and!
information! regarding! resources! for! survivors! and! friendsJofJsurvivors.! It! is!
recommended! that! the! training! be! a! hybrid! version! of! PEERS! training! and! Step! Up!!
and!be!preceded!by!an!introduction!to!the!issue!of!sexual!assault!at!Eagle!Summit,!with!
additional!preliminary!education!to!be!administered!through!an!online!program!prior!to!
students!arrival!for!the!fall!semester.!
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5.! American! University! to! develop! a! flowchart! to! be! made! available! on! the! university!
website! that! would! outline! all! available! resources! for! survivors,! and! clearly! delineate!
those!which!are!confidential!and!those!which!are!not.!
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6.! The! incorporation! of! Title! IX! language! and! survivor! resources! into! all! syllabi! at!
American!University.!

AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 5

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6! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!

Awareness!
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The!issue!of!sexual!assault!on!college!campuses!has!gained!national!attention!in!the!last!
year,!particularly!with!the!appointment!of!President!Barack!Obamas!White!House!Task!Force!
to! Protect! Students! Against! Sexual! Assault,! and! the! roll! out! of! the! White! House! Its! On! Us!
campaign.! Across! the! country,! colleges! and! universities! are! facing! the! realities! and!
consequences!for!having!allowed!the!issue!of!sexual!violence!to!be!unaddressed!for!too!long.!
SeventyJsix! schools! are! under! federal! investigation! for! the! potential! mishandling! of! sexual!
violence!and!harassment!cases.!!
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While! not! under! investigation,! American! University! too! faced! significant! national!
criticism!following!the!release!of!emails!from!the!underground!organization,!Epsilon!Iota,!this!
past!spring.!The!emails!made!reference!to!alleged!acts!of!rape,!drug!use,!and!alcohol!abuse,!in!
addition! to! including! a! slew! of! racist,! sexist,! and! homophobic! comments.! Student! outcry!
resulted! in! unprecedented! community! action,! including! the! compilation! and! delivery! of!
requests!for!concrete!policy!changes!to!be!made!by!the!university!administration.!!
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Since! then,! American! University! has! taken! steps! to! respond! to! the! incidents! and!
improve! efforts! to! tackle! sexual! violence! on! campus.! The! universitys! Sexual! Assault! Working!
Group! renewed! its! mission! to! research! policy! and! develop! recommendations! for! the!
administration! regarding! changes! that! should! be!
implemented!in!the!coming!months.!American!University!
American!University!must!
also! recently! hired! a! Coordinator! of! Victim! Advocacy!
shift!from!only!being!
Services!to!work!in!the!Wellness!Center!in!order!to!offset!
the!massive!demand!for!support!previously!provided!by!
sufficiently!reactionary!to!
only! one! individual.! These! efforts! show! the! universitys!
being!decisively!proactive!
desire! to! address! sexual! violence! on! campus.! This! Task!
Force! asserts,! however,! that! moving! forward! American!
University! must! make! the! critical! shift! from! only! being! sufficiently! reactionary,! to! being!
decisively!proactive!in!its!efforts.!
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A!key!component!to!any!awareness!mission!is!having!sufficient!capability!to!engage!in!
consistent!messaging!and!branding!efforts.!With!the!hiring!of!a!second!Victims!Advocate!within!
the!Wellness!Center,!there!are!now!two!individuals!tasked!with!sexual!assault!prevention!and!
response!efforts.!The!creation!of!an!individual!department!is!both!logistically!challenging!and!
not!distinctly!necessary.!Having!a!program!such!as!the!University!of!Marylands!CARE:!Campus!
Advocates!Respond!and!Educate!to!Stop!Violence,1!however,!would!allow!the!Wellness!Center!
to!channel!resources!in!a!deliberate!manner!and!outreach!to!students!more!effectively.!!
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!http://www.health.umd.edu/care!

AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 7
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1.!This!Task!Force!advocates!for!the!creation!of!a!Sexual!Assault!Response!&!
Prevention!Program!to!operate!out!of!the!Wellness!Center!and!be!coordinated!
by!the!Sexual!Assault!Prevention!Coordinator!and!the!Coordinator!of!Victim!
Advocacy!Services.!

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In! addition! to! developing! a! more! intentional! method! of! reaching! out! to! students,!
making!the!services!in!the!Wellness!Center!more!accessible!is!a!top!priority.!Most!key!student!
services,! including! the! Counseling! Center,! Academic! Support! &! Access! Center,! and! Center! for!
Diversity! &! Inclusion! are! centrally! located! and! easily! accessible! in! the! Mary! Graydon! Center.!
The! relocation! of! the! Sexual! Assault! Prevention! Coordinator! and! the! Coordinator! of! Victim!
Advocacy! Services! would! offer! students! a! safe,! but! more! central! place! to! seek! out! resources!
surrounding! sexual! violence,! dating! violence,! and! stalking/harassment.! With! the! opening! of!
East!Campus!and!the!vacancy!of!American!Universitys!building!at!4801!Massachusetts!Avenue!
NW,! it! is! predicted! that! space! will! become! available! on! the! third! floor! of! the! Mary! Graydon!
Center.!!
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2.!This!Task!Force!advocates!for!the!offices!of!the!Sexual!Assault!Prevention!
Coordinator!and!the!Coordinator!of!Victim!Advocacy!Services!to!be!moved!to!
the!third!floor!of!the!Mary!Graydon!Center!upon!its!transition!from!being!used!
as!swing!space.!

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The!combination!of!a!Sexual!Assault!Response!&!Prevention!Program!and!the!move!to!a!
more! central! and! accessible! location! would! allow! the! Wellness! Center! to! establish! consistent!
branding! on! the! issue! of! sexual! violence! on! campus! and! outreach! to! students! more! directly.!
This!would!enhance!the!ability!of!American!University!to!more!effectively!target!prevention!and!
response!efforts!on!and!off!campus.!!!
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8! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!

Preventative!Education!
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!A!key!element!of!the!White!House!Not$Alone$report!recommended!the!implementation!
of!Campus!Climate!Surveys!at!schools!across!the!country.!Dr.!Jane!E.!Palmer!of!the!School!of!
Public!Affairs!at!American!University!has!distributed!a!Victimization!and!Sexual!Assault!survey!
to! the! American! University! community! every! other! year! since! 2011.! In! spring! 2011,! 19%! of!
survey! respondents! reported! experiencing! unwanted! sexual! activity! since! fall! 2010.! In! spring!
2013,! 18%! of! survey! respondents! reported! experiencing! unwanted! sexual! activity! since! fall!
2012.2! National! averages! indicate! that! one! in! five! women! and! one! in! sixteen! men! will!
experience!sexual!assault!between!the!ages!of!18!and!24!years!old.3!$
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A!survey!conducted!this!past!fall!by!the!American!University!Student!Government!found!
that!only!42%!of!students!believe!American!University!has!sufficient!preventative!measures!in!
place! to! prevent! sexual! assault.! The! same! survey!
Only!42%!of!students!believe! found! that! 71%! of! males! reported! feeling! safe!
from! sexual! assault! on! American! Universitys!
AU!has!sufficient!measures!in! campus,! while! only! 51%! of! women! reported!
place!to!prevent!sexual!assault4! feeling!safe!from!sexual!assault!on!campus.4!!
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The! issue! of! sexual! assault! and! violence!
pervades!the!culture!of!American!University!just!as!it!does!other!campuses!across!the!country.!
In!light!of!this,!the!need!for!mandatory!preventative!education!has!never!been!more!prevalent,!
and!the!opportunity!to!institute!it!never!more!timely.!!
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Nationally,! university! policies! and! regulations! are! trending! toward! mandatory!
preventative! education! programs.! Many! schools! already! have! mandatory! programs! in! place,!
including! Georgetown! University5! and! Howard! University.6! Other! schools! have! recently!
recommended!mandatory!education,!such!as!the!University!of!California,!whose!President!has!
advocated! for! the! implementation! of! mandatory! education! for! all! students,! staff,! and! faculty!
members!on!all!of!their!ten!campuses!across!California.7!
!
!

!Palmer,!Jane!E.,!Ph.D,!MSW.!American$University$Victimization$&$Sexual$Assault$Survey.!Washington,!D.C.:!
Department!of!Public!Administration!&!Policy,!American!U,!2013.!Print.!!
3
!Krebs,!Christopher!P.,!Christine!H.!Lindquist,!Tara!D.!Warner,!Bonnie!S.!Fisher,!and!Sandra!L.!Martin.!The$
Campus$Sexual$Assault$(CSA)$Study.!Rep.!N.p.:!U.S.!Department!of!Justice,!December,!2007.!Print.!
4
!Hanson,!Emily.!September!2014!Survey.!Sept.!2014.!American!University!Student!Government,!Washington,!
D.C.!
5
!http://studentaffairs.georgetown.edu/policies/studentJconduct/sexualJmisconduct!
6
!http://pinstripellc.com/howard/
7
!Initial$Report$to$the$President:$President's$Task$Force$on$Preventing$and$Responding$to$Sexual$Violence$and$
Sexual$Assault.!University!of!California,!September!2014.!Print.!

AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 9
In! the! American! University! Student! Government! survey! conducted! this! fall,! student!
responses! were! broken! down! by! gender,! Pell! eligibility,! Greek! affiliation,! and! Student!
Government!membership.!In!each!of!the!individual!categories,!the!percentage!of!students!who!
responded!as!strongly!or!somewhat!willing!to!undergo!preventative!sexual!assault!training!was!
over!half.!Some!of!the!greatest!willingness!to!participate!was!found!amongst!members!of!the!
Greek!community,!with!74%!of!Greek!affiliated!individuals!being!strongly!or!somewhat!willing!
to!undergo!preventative!training.8!American!University!is!poised!to!serve!as!a!model!to!other!
schools! across! the! country! and! should! harness! student! support! of! preventative! education! to!
help!drive!a!broader!culture!change.!
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3.!This!Task!Force!recommends!that!the!university!outline!a!plan!to!implement!
in!the!next!three!years,!mandatory!preventative!sexual!assault!education!for!all!
members!of!the!American!University!community.!Furthermore,!this!Task!Force!
advocates!that!education!for!students!would!begin!with!in[person!training!
freshmen!year,!and!continue!with!reinforced!education!throughout!their!careers!
at!American!University.!

In! an! effort! to! expand! education! efforts,! American! University! has! implemented! Step!
Up!! bystander! intervention! training! for! all! Athletes! and! members! of! the! Greek! community,!
and! the! Wellness! Center! continues! to! increase! PEERS! (Peer! Educators! for! the! Elimination! of!
Relationship!and!Sexual!Violence)!training.!Dr.!Victoria!L.!Banyard!of!the!College!of!Liberal!Arts!
at! the! University! of! New! Hampshire! cites! the! need,! however,! to! move! beyond! a! focus! on!
individual!students!or!even!groups!of!atJrisk!students!to!prevention!approaches!that!seek!wider!
community!change.!Targeted!training,!while!seemingly!a!good!alternative!to!broad,!mandatory!
education,! has! in! fact! proven! to! be! far! less! effective! in! producing! longJterm! attitudinal! and!
behavioral!changes.!
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Banyard! also! notes! the! need! for! prevention! messages! to! build! on! one! another! over!
time,!adding!that!this!applies!not!only!to!the!life!course,!but!also!to!years!in!college.9!The!
need! to! target! training! at! various! levels! of! life! experience! and! education! is! critical.! Repeated!
education!efforts!would!allow!students!to!have!continued!but!intentional!exposure!to!the!issue!
of!sexual!violence!on!campus!and!the!role!they!play!in!eliminating!it.!!
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This! Task! Force! recognizes! that! mandatory! education! is! not! a! silver! bullet.! Targeting!
sexual! assault! and! violence! must! be! done! from! multiple! angles,! and! include! a! variety! of!
techniques!and!efforts.!It!is!also!necessary!to!be!actively!conscious!of!the!culture!of!a!specific!
8

!Hanson,!Emily.!September!2014!Survey.!Sept.!2014.!American!University!Student!Government,!Washington,!
D.C.$
9
!Banyard,!Victoria!L.!Ph.D.!"Improving!College!CampusJBased!Prevention!of!Violence!Against!Women:!A!
Strategic!Plan!for!Research!Built!on!Multipronged!Practices!and!Policies."!Trauma,$Violence,$&$Abuse!(2014):!
1J13.!Sage.!Web.!

10! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!
community.!In!light!of!this!understanding,!and!with!proper!consideration!given!to!the!logistical!
challenges!of!implementing!broad,!mandatory!education!by!the!next!academic!year,!this!Task!
Force!has!developed!an!action!plan!that!could!be!implemented!over!the!course!of!the!next!nine!
months.! This! plan! would! allow! American! University! to! put! itself! on! the! path! to! mandatory!
education! and! begin! laying! the! groundwork! for! broader,! repeated! training,! while! still!
maintaining!an!interim!program!targeted!at!inJperson!education.!
!

Action!Plan!

The!first!six!weeks!of!college,!particularly!for!firstJyear!students,!are!what!the!New!York!
Times!identifies!as!the!red!zone,!in!which!women!face!a!significantly!heightened!risk!of!being!
sexually!assaulted.10!Targeting!preventative!education!efforts!at!students!just!before!and!during!
this!time!is!key!to!reducing!cases!of!sexual!assault!as!the!school!year!begins.!!
!
Literature!indicates,!however,!that!while!bystander!intervention!programs!are!the!most!
effective!at!driving!behavioral!changes,!introduction!to!the!broader!issue!of!sexual!assault!prior!
to! bystander! education! is! critical.! Banyard! asserts! that! prevention! first! needs! to! start! with!
awareness!of!the!issue,!addressing!concepts!such!as!!what!is!violence!against!women?!What!
is! consent?! What! is! coercion! in! a! relationship?! What! are! the! hallmarks! of! healthy!
relationships?!It!is!argued!that!after!this!is!accomplished,!then!prevention!can!address!issues!
of!bystander!responsibility,!building!skills!and!confidence!to!respond!to!risky!situations,!topics!
that!require!a!foundation!of!awareness!first.11!!
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In!a!separate!study,!Banyard!et.!al.!found!evidence!of!and!emphasizes!the!importance!
of!using!peer!leaders,!and!the!need!to!use!active!learning!strategies.!This!emphasis!on!peerJ
facilitated! education! is! found! throughout! the! literature,! and! should! be! a! hallmark! of! any!
training!program!devised!by!the!university.12!
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Bystander! intervention! training! is! rapidly! becoming! the! predominant! form! of!
preventative!sexual!assault!education,!as!seen!at!American!University!with!the!implementation!
of! Step! Up!.! As! identified! by! Palmer,! there! are! three! primary! beliefs! consistent! with! the!
choice!to!intervene!as!a!bystander,!including!I!have!the!skills!to!prevent!dating!violence!and!
sexual!violence!on!my!campus;!I!believe!my!peers!will!listen!to!me!if!I!speak!out!against!dating!
violence!and!sexual!violence;!I!feel!that!my!personal!efforts!can!make!a!difference!in!reducing!
dating!violence!and!sexual!violence.!Palmer!notes!the!importance!of!observing!others!engage!
in!bystander!intervention,!having!found!that!observing!others!engage!in!bystander!behaviors!
10
11

!http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/us/howJoneJcollegeJhandledJaJsexualJassaultJcomplaint.html?_r=0!
!Banyard,!Victoria!L.!Ph.D.!"Improving!College!CampusJBased!Prevention!of!Violence!Against!Women:!A!

Strategic!Plan!for!Research!Built!on!Multipronged!Practices!and!Policies."!Trauma,$Violence,$&$Abuse!(2014):!
1J13.!Sage.!Web.!
12
!Banyard,!Victoria!L.!Ph.D,!Mary!M.!Moynihan!Ph.D,!and!Elizabeth!G.!Plante!Ph.D.!"Sexual!Violence!
Prevention!Through!Bystander!Education:!An!Experimental!Evaluation."!Journal$of$Community$Psychology!
35.4!(2007):!463J81.!Web.!

AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 11
in! the! past! seven! months! was! significantly! associated! with! engage! as! a! bystander! in! the! past!
seven!months.13!!
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The! aforementioned! beliefs! and! the! observation! of! bystander! behavior! are! all! directly!
associated!with!bystander!intervention!education.!Effective!education!lays!the!groundwork!for!
students!being!able!to!apply!the!behaviors!they!learn!and!see!in!training!to!realJlife!situations.!
Therefore!bystander!intervention!training!is!a!key!element!of!preventative!efforts!on!campus.!!!
!

4.!This!Task!Force!advocates!that!two!hours!be!dedicated!during!Welcome!Week!
to!peer[facilitated!in[person!sexual!assault!education!for!all!first[year!students!
with!an!implied!mandate.!This!education!must!include!consent[based!
education,!bystander!intervention!training,!and!information!regarding!resources!
for!survivors!and!friends[of[survivors.!It!is!recommended!that!the!training!be!a!
hybrid!version!of!PEERS!training!and!Step!Up!!and!be!preceded!by!an!
introduction!to!the!issue!of!sexual!assault!at!Eagle!Summit,!with!additional!
preliminary!education!to!be!administered!through!an!online!program!prior!to!
students!arrival!for!the!fall!semester.!

As! American! University! is! not! yet! prepared! to! implement! an! enforced! mandate! on!
preventative!education,!the!importance!of!having!an!implied!mandate!is!stressed!here.!Implied!
mandates! have! proven! to! be! effective! at! garnering! high! response! rates,! as! can! be! seen! with!
AlcoholEdu.! The! online! alcohol! education! program,! AlcoholEdu! is! administered! with! an!
implied!mandate!to!all!firstJyear!students!at!American!University!in!the!summer!prior!to!their!
arrival!on!campus.!In!the!last!year!this!program!received!a!93%!response!rate.14!!
!
The!Task!Force!emphasizes!that!this!action!plan!outlines!a!beginning,!not!an!end,!and!
broad! enforceable! mandatory! education! is! the! most! comprehensive! way! to! prevent! sexual!
assaults.! If! American! University! seeks! to! keep! up! with! national! trends! and! even! serve! as! a!
model!to!other!colleges!and!universities!across!the!country,!the!shift!to!mandatory!education!is!
critical.!!
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!

13

!Palmer,!Jane!E.!Ph.D.!""A!Few!Times!I!Have!Knocked!on!Doors!at!Parties":!Peers!as!Bystanders!in!
Preventing!&!Responding!to!Dating!Violence!and!Sexual!Violence!on!a!College!Campus."!School$of$Public$
Affairs,$American$University!(2013).!Print.!
14
!Rev.!of!AlcoholEdu$for$College.!SAWG$Campus$Awareness$&$Education$Subcommittee.!Print.

12! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!

Survivor!Support!
!
The! World! Health! Organization! cites! that! survivors! of! sexual! assault! are! three! times!
more!likely!to!suffer!from!depression,!four!times!more!likely!to!contemplate!suicide,!six!times!
more!likely!to!suffer!from!post[traumatic!stress!disorder,!thirteen!times!more!likely!to!abuse!
alcohol,!and!twenty[six!times!more!likely!to!abuse!drugs!than!the!average!individual.15!
!
National! averages! surrounding! the! prevalence! of! sexual! assault! are! striking,! but! for!
individuals!of!color!and!members!of!the!LGBTQ!community,!those!numbers!climb!even!higher.!
It! is! estimated! by! the! National! Institute! of! Justice! and! the! Centers! for! Disease! Control! &!
Prevention!that!Black!and!Latino!women!are!at!a!substantially!higher!risk!of!sexual!assault,!and!
Native! American! women! face! nearly! three! times! the! risk! of! sexual! assault! in! their! lifetimes!
compared!with!national!averages.16!!
!
As!cited!by!the!Center!for!American!Progress,!nearly!half!of!all!bisexual!men!and!four!in!
ten!gay!men!have!experience!sexual!assault![]!additionally,!nearly!half!of!all!bisexual!women!
and!one!in!eight!lesbian!women!have!experienced!rape!in!their!lifetimes.!A!staggering!64%!of!
transgender!people!will!face!sexual!assault!in!their!lifetimes.17!
!
The!need!to!support!survivors!of!sexual!assault!cannot!be!overJexaggerated.!Providing!
the!necessary!resources!for!survivors!is!paramount!if!American!University!wishes!to!truly!create!
and! maintain! a! community! of! care.! According! to!
the! September! 2014! Student! Government! survey,!
53%!of!student!at!AU!feel!there! there!is!much!work!left!to!be!done!in!this!area,!as!
only! 53%! of! students! at! American! University! feel!
are!insufficient!resources!for!
there! are! sufficient! resources! for! survivors! of!
survivors18!
sexual!assault!on!campus.18!!
!
One! of! the! key! elements! of! survivor! support! is! ensuring! that! resources! are! accessible!
and!easy!to!find.!American!University!has!received!praise!from!DistrictJarea!crisis!centers!that!
note!that!the!resources!provided!on!the!backs!of!bathroom!stalls!on!campus!are!the!primarily!
cited! reason! survivors! from! American! University! seek! care.! Many! students,! however,! report!
being!unaware!of!which!resources!are!confidential!or!how!a!formal!complaint!may!be!filed.!Yale!
University!has!targeted!this!problem!by!developing!a!flowchart!with!a!clear!outline!of!resources!
!

15

!Krug,!E.!G.,!L.!L.!Dahlberg,!J.!A.!Mercy,!A.!Zwi,!and!R.!Lozano.!"World!Report!on!Violence!and!Health."!
World$Health$Organization!(2002):!149J71.!Print.!
16
!National!Institute!of!Justice!&!Centers!for!Disease!Control!&!Prevention.!Prevalence,$Incidence$and$
Consequences$of$Violence$Against$Women$Survey.!1998.!
17
!https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/report/2014/09/19/97504/aJhiddenJcrisis/
18
!Hanson,!Emily.!September!2014!Survey.!Sept.!2014.!American!University!Student!Government,!
Washington,!D.C.!

AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 13
and! the! different! implications! attached! with! seeking! each! of! them! out.19! Having! an! online!
resource! through! which! survivors! or! friendsJofJsurvivors! could! easily! and! clearly! identify!
information!regarding!reporting!and!confidentiality!would!substantially!alleviate!the!burden!of!
understanding!university!and!DistrictJwide!resources.!!
!

5.!This!Task!Force!recommends!that!American!University!develop!a!flowchart!to!
be!made!available!on!the!university!website!that!would!outline!all!available!
resources!for!survivors,!and!clearly!delineate!those!which!are!confidential!and!
those!which!are!not.!

An!article!in!the!Chronicle!for!Higher!Education!emphasized!that!by!taking!the!simple!
measures! of! incorporating! Title! IX! language! into! syllabi! and! giving! students! the! names! and!
numbers!of!the!primary!campus!resources,!we!as!educators!can!do!our!part!to!provide!support!
for!victims!and!help!end!the!epidemic!of!campus!sexual!violence.20!
!
The! article! asserts! the! dual! benefit! of! including! information! on! syllabi! in! that! it! would!
assist!survivors!by!making!resources!more!clear!and!readily!available,!and!discourage!potential!
offenders! from! committing! acts! of! sexual! violence.! A! study! published! by! the! Law! &! Society!
Review! supports! this,! finding! that! the! perceived! threat! of! formal! sanctions! (being! dismissed!
from!the!university!or!arrested)!had!a!significant!deterrent!effect!on!potential!perpetrators!of!
sexual!assault.21!
!
The! level! of! exposure! students! have! to! syllabi! make! them! unique! documents.! Unlike!
other! venues! through! which! information! is! obtained,! syllabi! are! distributed! to! students!
between! four! to! six! times! per! semester,! allowing! for! broad! and! consistent! reach! to! every!
student! at! the! university.! Many! universities! around! the! country! have! begun! including! Title! IX!
language!and!resources!on!their!syllabi,!and!examples!may!be!found!at!Iowa!State!University,22!
Humboldt!State!University,23!University!of!Colorado!Boulder,24!Clemson!University,25!in!addition!
to!many!others.!!
!

6.!This!Task!Force!advocates!for!the!incorporation!of!Title!IX!language!and!
survivor!resources!into!all!syllabi!at!American!University.!
!
19

!http://smr.yale.edu!
!http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2014/09/03/howJsyllabiJcanJhelpJcombatJsexualJassault/!
21
!Bachman!Ronet,!Raymond!Paternoster,!and!Sally!Ward.!"The!Rationality!of!Sexual!Offending:!Testing!a!
20

Deterrence/Rational!Choice!Conception!of!Sexual!Assault."!Law$&$Society$Review!(1992):!3434J72.!JSTOR.!
Web.
22
!http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teachingJresources/courseJplanning/syllabi/recommendationsJsyllabus/!
23
!http://humboldt.edu/titleix/content/resourcesJfacultyJandJstaff!
24
!http://bit.ly/10LWs8G!
25
!http://media.clemson.edu/administration/ugs/classJregs.pdf

14! AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations!
Increasing! the! accessibility! and! clarity! of! resources! through! a! flowJchart! and! by!
delineating!Title!IX!and!resource!information!on!class!syllabi,!American!University!will!be!able!to!
more!effectively!support!survivors!of!sexual!assault.!A!more!thorough!analysis!of!the!conduct!
process!and!how!it!could!better!serve!survivors!of!sexual!assault!is!also!an!area!where!the!Task!
Force!believes!there!could!be!further!exploration.!!
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AU!Its!On!Us:!Report!&!Recommendations! 15

Moving!Forward!
!
This!document!is!meant!to!serve!not!as!an!end,!but!a!beginning!to!the!broader!changes!
that!must!be!driven!by!all!members!of!the!community.!The!Task!Force!endeavored!to!provide!
recommendations!that!could!be!implemented!in!the!immediate!to!near!future,!but!recognizes!
that!much!of!the!necessary!work!extends!far!beyond!the!boundaries!of!this!report.!!
!
Further! areas! for! research! and! potential! policy! changes! lie! in! the! conduct! process,!
where!oftentimes!students!are!left!without!a!sufficiently!knowledgeable!advocate!when!going!
through! the! adjudication! process.! Assessing! the! logistical! challenges! of! implementing!
enforceable! mandatory! education! must! also! be! done! as! American! University! moves! towards!
more!comprehensive!preventative!training.!The!White!House!Not$Alone$report!recommended!
the!institution!of!national!Campus!Climate!Surveys,!however!American!University!has!already!
collected!its!own!data!on!sexual!assault,!victimization,!and!bystander!intervention!since!2011.!
How!may!American!Universitys!current!survey!language!be!maintained!in!the!interest!of!having!
comparable! data,! but! also! perhaps! be! expanded! to! include! questions! that! address! national!
benchmarks!as!identified!by!the!lead!researchers!on!the!issue?!!
!
This!Task!Force!seeks,!over!the!next!five!months,!to!lay!down!the!groundwork!necessary!
for! building! and! sustaining! an! active! student! effort! to! drive! vast! culture! change! within! the!
American!University!community!on!the!issue!of!sexual!assault!and!violence.!It!is!time!to!move!
beyond! dialogue! and! reactionary! behavior,! and! step! up! to! own! the! role! each! individual!
community!member!plays!in!eliminating!campus!sexual!assault.!Its!on!us!to!change!the!culture,!
and!change!it!we!shall.!!