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Frontline Responses: How to Handle Sexual
Assault Disclosures
Dr. Marta Kvande, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Amy Murphy, Dean of StudentsDr. Elizabeth Sharp, Associate Professor HDFS
Dr. Ty Stafford, Student Counseling Center
Title IX
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Title IX Violations• A school violates Title IX if it “has notice” of a sexually hostile
environment and fails to take immediate and effective corrective action.• A school has notice if a responsible employee knew or, in the exercise of
reasonable care, should have known about the harassment.• A reasonable employee includes any employee who:
– Has the authority to take action to redress the harassment;– Has the duty to report to appropriate school officials sexual harassment or any
other misconduct by students or employees; or– A student could reasonably believe has the authority or responsibility
• Whether an employee is a responsible employee or whether it would be reasonable for a student to believe the employee is will vary depending on various factors (i.e. age & educational level, position held by employee, procedures)
Association of Title IX Administrators. Lewis, W.S., Schuster, S. K., Sokolow, B.A. (2011-2013). Various presentations and publications. National Center for Higher Education Risk Management.
The IX Commandments
Thorough Reliable Impartial
Prompt Effective Equitable
End the Discriminatio
n
Prevent its Recurrence
Remedy the effects upon the victim & community
Investigation
Process
Remedies
Association of Title IX Administrators. Lewis, W.S., Schuster, S. K., Sokolow, B.A. (2011-2013). Various presentations and publications. National Center for Higher Education Risk Management.
Partnership for Student Success
When might you become aware of sexual violence, harassment or discrimination that
should be reported?
• Direct contact from a student, parent, other individual to you
• You witness an incident• Information from an indirect source such as a
community member or media• Information on flyers, event announcements, or social
media
Partnership for Student Success
Who do you report to?
• Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students
Dr. Amy Murphy, Dean of Students
201 Student Union Building
(806) 742-2984 [email protected]• Student Resolution Center/Title IX Investigators
Michael Henry or Shawn Adams
232E Student Union Building
(806) 742-SAFE (7233) [email protected]
• http://sexualviolence.ttu.edu
Partnership for Student Success
What must be reported?
According to the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 2014 Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence:• All relevant details about the alleged sexual violence that the student or
another person has shared and that the school will need to determine what occurred and to resolve the situation.
• Name(s) of the alleged perpetrator (if known)• Name(s) of the student(s) who experienced the alleged sexual violence• Other students involved in the alleged sexual violence• Other relevant facts (dates, times, locations)
For Clery Campus Crime Reporting, this information is also helpful:• Was a police report filed? With what agency? When?• Was alcohol, drugs, or weapons involved?• Were specific injuries reported to you?
Partnership for Student Success
What happens when you report?
• Identify a way to transition the student or reporting party to a trained staff member to identify options and resources with them
• Provide the student with immediate remedies and resources• Prioritize the wishes of the complainant related to
participation in an investigation and other processes while weighing the interests of the campus community and the possibility of a continuing threat
• A respect for student privacy while utilizing a collaborative team to ensure assistance & response for the student and campus community
Partnership for Student Success
Potential Effects of Trauma
• Anxiety– Fear– Hypervigiance– Panic Attacks– Phobias– Nightmares– Flashbacks
• Depressive reactions– Sadness– Hopelessness– Anhedonia– Suicidality– Self-harm
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Potential Effects of Trauma
• Anger• Denial• Physical reactions– Somatization
• Emotional Dysregulation– “All or Nothing” – Dissociation
• Self-blame
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Triggers
• Anything that calls back to the event and sets of a flashback or difficult memory– Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch – “Trigger Warning”
• Secondary Traumatization– Helping Professionals– Police– Court
Partnership for Student Success
Things Not to Do
• Blame the victim– “A devaluing act where the victim of a crime, an accident, or any type of
abusive maltreatment is held as wholly or partially responsible for the wrongful conduct committed against them.”• “If you hadn’t been drinking…”• “Is it possible you just don’t like that you had sex?”
– “Why…• were you there?”• didn’t you fight back?”• did you dress like that?”• did you take so long to tell someone?”
• “You should…”– Report– Confront
• Make promises you can’t keep
Partnership for Student Success
Things to Do
• Listen• Suggest and provide information• Be Patient
– Car analogy
• Be honest about your limitations and your requirements• Give yourself permission to be anxious and to not have all the answers
– Don’t expect to be perfect– Apologize if you say the wrong thing
• Know your resources and responsibilities – Refer– Bring in support
• Check-in • Take care of yourself
Partnership for Student Success
Helping Skills
• Attending• Open-ended Questions• Paraphrasing• Clarifying• Summarizing• Information giving• Problem-solving
Partnership for Student Success
Practice Scenario
A student comes to you in tears after class to indicate that she was not able to study for today’s exam and is afraid she has failed it. She shares that her fiancé was violent with her over the weekend and would not let her leave his house for several hours. She insists that she is a good student and won’t let this happen again in the future.
Partnership for Student Success
Scenario 1
A student who is talking to you about her graduate school prospects explains the reason she made an F in a course was that she was uncomfortable sitting in the same classroom with a girl who had raped her at a party.
Partnership for Student Success
Scenario 2
After missing several classes, a student visits your office and indicates that she missed class because she was hospitalized for a suicide attempt. When you express concern, she further explains that she tried to kill herself because she was raped after attending a fraternity party. Additional, she shares that her mother and others have blamed her for “causing it” by drinking too much the night the rape occurred.
Partnership for Student Success
Scenario 3
A male student visits your office hours clearly upset and embarrassed. The student is in your mid-size course and sits near the back of the class. He shared that almost every class two female students make flirtatious comments to him, including comments about his body. He states that he has told the them he is in a committed relationship and that the comments make him uncomfortable, but they have continued to make the comments. He has mentioned his concern to some friends, but they say it isn’t “a big deal,” that he should just “enjoy” the attention, and that he should “go for it” with these women.
Partnership for Student Success
Scenario 4
An international graduate student in your department shares with you that she is not feeling comfortable in her research lab because the lab supervisor has asked her out several times and made comments that they should “spend more time together” to help her with her research. She tells you that she reported her concerns to the senior faculty member who oversees the lab and research. This faculty member told her not to make a “big deal” out of it because the lab is grant-funded and she should not do anything to “cause trouble.” The faculty member said she should just try to get along with everyone in the lab and the problem will resolve itself. Since that time, the lab supervisor seems to know she said something and the comments have escalated to telling her she better “watch out” what she says because she could be “ruined” in the department.
Partnership for Student Success
Scenario 5
A student in your class indicates she is pregnant and will be having her baby late in the semester. She hopes to be able to complete the class without any problems, but there is a possibility that she may have the baby before the class is finished. She also shares that she talked to her faculty advisor about the pregnancy and was worried because the advisor’s reaction was to say “Oh, what will this do to your job prospects?! You have been a top student for us.”
Partnership for Student Success
Resources
• TTU Student Counseling Center– www.depts.ttu.edu/scc – Individual, Group, and Couples counseling• Journey to Wholeness
• https://www.depts.ttu.edu/sexualviolence/resources.php
Partnership for Student Success
Optional Syllabus Statement
TTU Resources for a Safe Campus
Texas Tech University is dedicated to providing a safe and equitable learning environment for all students. Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to The Student Resolution Center: (806) 742-SAFE (7233). The TTU Counseling Center (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/scc/) provides confidential support (806-742-3674) and the Voices of Hope Lubbock Rape Crisis Center has a 24-hour hotline: 806-763-RAPE (7273). For more information about support, reporting options, and other resources, go to: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/sexualviolence/.
References
• Association of Title IX Administrators. Lewis, W.S., Schuster, S. K., Sokolow, B.A. (2011-2013). Various presentations and publications. National Center for Higher Education Risk Management.
