Leaning into the kinds of environments all students deserve

In the wake of the Department of Education’s latest weakening of Title IX protections, campus administrators across the country are re-examining their role in creating safer environments for all students. The federal civil rights law protects students and staff alike from discrimination based on sex at schools receiving federal funding –and this includes acting upon reports of sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault.

While federal mandates may no longer require as robust a response, now is not the time to back down from what young people, parents, advocates, and community members demand for a student’s education experience.

RALIANCE was proud to award an impact grant to the Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) in 2016-2017 to improve perpetration prevention strategies for colleges. PAAR assembled a team comprised of victim services, school administrators, and sex offender treatment professionals to examine sanctioning practices at three Allegheny County, Pennsylvania universities. The goal was to better train and offer accountability options for universities to address changing behaviors and understanding possible risk.

PAAR’s Alison Hall & Julie Evans as well as RALIANCE’s Julie Patrick recently discussed this project in a guest prevention blog for the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers called “Redefining campus sanctions for sexual misconduct as a strategy for prevention.”

As the conversation about Title IX continues to evolve, schools need examples of ways to lean into the kinds of environments and cultures all students deserve. Check it out and let us know your thoughts!

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