SHEPHERDSTOWN – Sexual assaults at university campuses nationwide have sparked efforts to make campus grounds safer.
After last week’s assault at Shepherd University behind Shaw Hall, discussions have begun about improving outdoor lighting and encouraging students to take advantage of self-defense classes, walk in pairs and carry Mace.
A look at efforts made by other universities that have addressed campus safety reveals that security guard escorts, courses on preventing assaults, and cell phone alerts have been implemented.
UVA
At the University of Virginia, where the most recent charges of sexual assault were levied last week, the university has created a security escort service available to students of the Charlottesville area. The service is contracted with an international security firm, G4S, which allows unarmed security guards to escort students at any hour of the day to ensure their safety. The guard’s duties include walking students home, calling a safe ride, or waiting with students at a bus stop. This international security firm has collaborated with other universities including the University of Pennsylvania, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University.
In a letter sent to University of Virginia students six days after the reported sexual assault, University Police Chief, Michael Gibson, said that the information of the assault was being released in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act
The Clery Act
“The Clery Act requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses, including timely warnings of crimes that may represent a serious or ongoing threat to the safety of students or employees,” Gibson said in his letter.
In 1986, a 19-year-old woman, Jeanne Clery, was sexually assaulted and murdered on Lehigh University’s campus. In her honor, the Clery Act was created. This act holds requirements for campuses to abide by to keep students safe. There are four main requirements of the act: annual security report, crime log, timely warnings, and crime statistics. The annual security report is a document that that includes statistics, statements, and programs created on campus to prevent crime and procedures of sexual offenses that happened over the past three years. The crime log is required from the police department on the campus. It is a log of crimes that have happened on campus and when they were reported.
According to the Clery Center, an organization tied to the federal Clery Act that handles security on campus, “Institutions must provide timely warnings in a manner likely to reach all members of the campus community. There are differences between what constitutes a timely warning and an emergency notification; however, both systems are in place to safeguard students and campus employees.”
Crime statistics is the last section required of the Clery Act. Any homicide or sexual act, robbery, assault, burglary, arson, theft of a motor vehicle, or arrest for liquor, drug, or illegal weapons are to be reported in the university’s Annual Security Report and sent to the U.S. Department of education every year. Records are kept from the previous eight years.
The “Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting” found on the U.S. Department of Education website is designed to inform students, employees and parents of campus security procedures and crime statistics using the Clery Act. The act allows the handbook to inform details about crimes that have happened on campuses nationwide. The handbook details definitions of crimes and what situations are considered assault.
According to the online data from the Clery Act, in 2011 there were 10 sex offenses on campus at Shepherd University. In 2012, there were nine and in 2013, there were eight.
In a study conducted by University of Kansas psychology professor, Corey Yung, studies found that universities undercount incidents of sexual assault in their annual Clery Act reports. The reports of sexual assault on university campuses from 2001 to 2012 increase roughly 44 percent when being examined by the Department of Education. When the examination period ends, the sexual assault rates decrease back to their original numbers. The universities studied were four-year universities with a minimum of 10,000 students. The reports of other crimes on campus such as burglary did not follow the same pattern as sexual assault.
WVU
West Virginia University has also taken measures to prevent sexual assault by creating a campaign called “It’s On Us.” The creators of the campaign say that it is everyone’s responsibility to prevent assault by intervening when someone is intoxicated and in possible danger. They also offer tips for dating and partying smart to avoid anything from happening. This is similar to the 3D program instituted at Shepherd University.
All students are required to take an online module that teaches them about assault titled “Think About It,” which is designed to make students understand different types of assault and is said to reduce harm by making students more aware. The university also has peer advocates, which are students who are trained to help sexual assault survivors.
West Virginia University has a violence prevention program called “Green Dot,” that is said to reduce violence on campuses. “Green Dot” trains students to be reactive in assault situations and to know the warning signs to prevent an assault. West Virginia University’s police department also offers self-defense classes available to university students.
At West Virginia University, there were four reported sex offenses in 2011, two in 2012, and 10 in 2013.
Other Campus Safety Measures
Since the shootings that took place on Virginia Tech’s campus in 2007, universities and colleges across the U.S. have improved how they are making students feel safer. Cell phone alerts have been instituted, similar to Rave Alerts students receive at Shepherd. Virginia Tech provides safety tips on their website for students. Student walking on campus at night should always trust instincts, stay aware of surroundings, walk in a group or come up with a buddy system with your friends and know how to defend yourself. Virginia Tech recommends that students take self-defense classes.
New York University also offers emergency alerts to student’s phones and emails. To let students know that they have access to safety 24/7, the university has a Public Safety Command Center. Officers are there for assistance regarding emergency and non-emergency situations. New York University also offers a safe-ride after hour service for students at night.
Warning Sirens have also been installed on campuses nationwide. These sirens provide an alert sound that let students know there is a threat at large. Universities like Brown and Duke have installed this system on campus.