Campus sex assault response graded in report card

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- The grades are in; on Thursday officials from the Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services discussed what college campuses across the state are doing about sexual violence.

"We know the prevalence of sexual violence on campuses is very high," said Beth Hamilton, CONNSACS "Report Card" author.

So says the author of a new report by Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, or CONNSACS, grading response to sexual assault at the state's higher ed institutions cumulatively. It's the third such report, with predecessors in 1999 and 2006. It's high time for another, following some new legislation.

"That requires campuses to take a good look at their policies, provide some training, both for students as well as for folks on campus who'll be working with survivors of sexual assaults on campus," Hamilton said.

At the report's release Thursday morning, Hamilton told News 8 results and trends overall are encouraging.

"I think that, overall, institutions are becoming much more savvy about looking at those policies, about mandating education and training for folks," Hamilton said, "and then also taking a really good look at the services survivors are met with following a sexual assault."

However, experts say as many as one in four women can expect to be sexually assaulted during her college career, meaning obvious room for improvement. And one area of such is apparently tied to a common misconception.

"One of the myths is that sexual assault happens more often between strangers and students, people from off campus," said Laura Lockwood, Trinity College Women & Gender Resource Action Center. "That's a myth. More rapes and sexual assaults happen between students who know each other."

Another need, they say, is teaching bystander intervention techniques. The 21 4-year institutions participating in the study did so voluntarily.

To view the full report card click here .