Campus sexual vIolence prevention: An overview of pportunities and challenges in policy and programs

The issue of sexual violence on college campuses has draw significant national attention recently. With the establishment of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault in January 2014 and the subsequent release of its first report in April 2014, many public health practitioners, sexual violence prevention practitioners, college administators and student activists are dedicating attention toward new policies and prevention activities in order to reduce the incidence of sexual asault on college campuses. 

In 2014, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s (CALCASA) national project PreventConnect conducted a scan specific to prevention efforts on college campuses. The scan represents a summary of CALCASA's experience working with hundreds of college campuses as a training and technical assistance provider to the national Department of Justice Campus Program since 1999, participating in the Department of Education’s VAWA Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, developing the 2004 California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault, working with student leaders to convene the 2014 Student Summit on Sexual Assault, PreventConnect's ten years of experience as a national online community of prevention practitioners, and from key informant interviews with national training and technical assistance providers and college campuses. CALCASA will be participating in CDC's Think Tank on Campsu Sexual Assault Prevention scheduled for May 2014 to help develop prevention. recommendations.

The scan identifies trends in current sexual violence prevention efforts on campuses; policies, mandates and regulations that impact sexual violence prevention on college campuses; and  indentifies challenges and opportunities in designing, implementing and evaluating sexual violence prevention strategies.