October 30, 2015
Spurred by a recent wave of alarming studies and reports, universities across the United States are becoming increasingly vigilant about the complex threat of sexual assault on their campuses.
As school officials and legislators seek ways to ensure greater prevention and protection for victims, the state of New Jersey is poised to launch a task force that will study and produce reports on patterns of college sexual assault, NJ Spotlight reports.
Acting in the wake of recent alleged incidents at Montclair, Rider and William Paterson universities, state Senator Peter Barnes III designed a legislative package aimed at reducing campus sexual assaults, including a 12-member task force to study the issue in cooperation with universities and develop guidelines for awareness and prevention.
Many school officials and advocates have opposed similar legislation over privacy concerns, but the Barnes proposal, co-sponsored by Sen. Sandra Cunningham, gained support and passed both houses of the New Jersey Assembly last week. Its approval now hinges on the signature of Governor Chris Christie, whose office has not provided comment on the legislation.
The crux of the bill would institute a mandatory reporting policy at universities in New Jersey, requiring victims to relay incidents to a campus official, who would then have to notify local authorities. Currently, New Jersey universities follow different procedures for complaints, including how they pursue the accused and provide care for victims.
Critics of the bill say the measures go too far, forcing victims to disclose private and possibly traumatic experiences that would not otherwise be mandated for incidents elsewhere in the community. University incident reports would be funneled to state and federal databases to enable policymakers to better track trends.
The bill would also require colleges to make sex assault reports publicly available on a dedicated website, including alerts to incoming students through registered mailings.
Barnes says the reporting requirements would not compel survivors to pursue prosecution or even an investigation. The goal would be to assist the task force in evaluating best practices and protocols that can be adopted by universities statewide. If victims choose to proceed, Barnes says, they will have direct access to the resources provided by police and prosecutors, including medical and counseling services.
The bill is similar to a federal proposal that would require schools to establish formal agreements with local police departments and create trained campus teams to assist victims. The key difference is that the federal bill would not require victims to come forward.
Read more at N.J. Spotlight.
