Giving Compass' Take:

• Eleanor Wilson shares evidenced-based policies for states to improve campus sexual assault reporting. 

• How can funders work to get evidence-based policies related to campus sexual assault passed? How are schools in your area addressing sexual assault? 

• Learn how sexual harassment and assault impacts women's mental and physical health. 

Victims benefit from trauma-informed, victim-centered, and offender-focused models
As the state of reporting on college campuses remains in flux, it’s critical that policymakers follow the evidence to make informed and thoughtful policies.

  • Formal avenues of reporting are important. A study shows how informal supports, such as peers or family, have more negative reactions to someone discussing his or her assault than formal supports. Organizations specifically focused on helping survivors of sexual assault provide more informed aid to best support the victims in their choice to report to authorities.
  • These formal avenues should be inclusive and supportive. The Model Response to Sexual Violence for Prosecutors (PDF), though intended for the criminal justice system, still can inform campus processes, in that it details the importance of providing a safe space for victims to share their stories, being able to meaningfully communicate with authorities, and collecting and preserving what evidence there is.
  • Students need access to these organizations. In one study, just 16 percent of female studentsreceived assistance from a victim service agency. It is crucial that formal avenues of support are accessible to students who have been sexually assaulted.

The evidence shows that students reporting sexual assault benefit from access to formal and inclusive organizations that give informed advice on reporting. No matter the changes on college campuses, using data-informed policies is critical to providing a safer pathway for students to report sexual assault.

Read the full article about improving campus sexual assault reporting by Eleanor Wilson at Urban Institute.