What do colleges and universities have to do with prevention?
Often when young adults attend college, it’s their first time living independently of their parents and making decisions on their own. With less supervision, more freedom, and sometimes poor school policies, many young adults will experience domestic violence or sexual assault for the first time in college.
Colleges and universities typically have diverse communities with diverse needs. Prevention work can be effective on campuses by understanding and assessing needs in order to prioritize issues and develop a plan of action. Plans may include mandatory trainings for faculty, staff and students, amnesty programs for reporting an assault, or improving school reporting of incidents.
Prevention on college campuses also incorporates accountability. Schools are held to strict federal and state standards under Title IX, the Clery Act and the Campus SaVE Act. Meaning, they have obligations to meet to ensure honest reporting of incidents, safe and fair means of handling complaints, and the protection of their students.