SGC's recommendations accepted by Vice Chancellor Jordan !!!!

 As promised, our last posting of this tracker involves the implementation recommendations SGC worked on and negotiated during the summer . Here are the recommendations that were accepted by Vice Chancellor Jordan and will be incorporated in the implementation of the policy that is now in effect:

Recommendations on how to enact on the CUNY Sexual Assault, Stalking and Domestic Violence Policy SGC put together:

Compliance

All CUNY institutes must perennially ensure the policy and procedures are being followed and observed by campus officials, evaluations are done yearly and student's feedback is taken consistently.

Campuses should be able to clearly define domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to its students. 

Access to the Policy

CUNY should advertise the policy on their websites, and the policy must be sent to students and faculty via mass email.

Students should be provided with up to date information. For instance, all incoming freshmen should be made aware of the policy during freshmen orientations and there should be tabling information/fliers/brochures in offices where students have access to it in places like, One Stop /Financial Aid/Admission/Freshmen Services etc. 

Education/Training

Institutes should also offer workshops once or twice every semester (besides orientations) to make sure that all students and faculty know and understand what their options are and are knowledgeable enough to  prevent sexual assault, stalking and domestic violence all together, whether it is on or off campus.

If CUNY budget allows, new faculty and interested students should be trained along with campus security personnel to effectively identify and respond to the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, as these would be preventative measures.

Prevention Education

a) Nformd.net- Cost of program willing to be negotiated since SGC has had contact w/ company since the start of the policy taskforce b) UN Gender Module c) DOJ report & guidelines for implementing sexual assault policies d) Bystander training- CANNOT be the sole means of education but part of a comprehensive educational structure. 

Services/Resources

CUNY centers should be able to provide services to survivors as a referral/resource center and open up campuses to outside service providers.

The centers should make it easy for student victims to reach out to them and help victims with in a warm and endearing manner.

Centers must provide an advocate/trained counselor/staff member who is trained in the topics of sexual assault/domestic violence/stalking. The trained expert should be able to build a relationship with the victim based on trust and accountability as it is vital in getting the victim started with the healing process.

CUNY should work in collaboration with current victim service providers (Eg. RAINN, SART Teams, Safe Horizon, NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault) and also work in with law enforcement officials from local jurisdiction, and be able to address confidentiality of victims.

CUNY institutes must continue to fund and expand services for survivors and keep an updated list of local and national resources that are available for students.

Investigation

Who investigates? a) No one person should investigate. Given current capacity of schools to provide adequate staff power, CUNY should consider at least a 6 person team to rotate cases and lessen burn out.  b) Training of investigation team should be refreshed every semester with a mandatory training time to attend free city workshops to keep investigators abreast of new information.  c) Sensitivity training, stalking, DV and sexual violence training necessary. Popular, cost effective and reputable places to seek are Safe Horizon, Connect NYC (free for orgs & other entities), NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, Urban Justice Center, Men Can Stop Rape. SGC has contacts for most on the list and can connect CUNY. 

Timeframe of Investigations: a) Sexual Harassment investigations on campuses easily fail because students are waiting for months or even a school year

b) Investigation should be between 3-6 months. In the interim - What to do with alleged victim and perpetrator? 

c) Give victim option to switch housing, schedule, etc., if he/she chooses. If not, perpetrator must switch.

d) There must be an expressed consent form of notification of rights to victim and perpetrator alike. 

e) Consent form should include counseling info for victim and perpetrator & indicate that it is outside of the care & attention that the school pays to the investigation (the counseling & other outside services).

f) Timeframe of investigation and rights according to investigation information should be expressed in the consent form. Names and other information of investigation team should be readily available within consent form. 

Sanctions of Perpetrator

What is the spectrum of sanctions? I.E. If a student is sexually assaulted and bears no severe physical injury, does the proved perpetrator receive a suspension and removal from areas where the victim is

Levels of discipline & sanctions appropriate for perpetrators of sexual assault, rape, IPV, DV & Stalking? What happens, as is statistically linked, if a victim experiences overlapping crimes? 

Combine sanctions for perpetrator and where dubious, choose a reasonable compromise between the sanctions.

Research/Evaluation

CUNY should be able to conduct research on service providers for special populations (Men, LGBTQI, immigrants, elderly / disabled

Campuses must continue to make sure that all student voices are heard, especially the voice of a sexual assault victim or victims of other forms of violence as they have a distinctive understanding of violence.

It is absolutely imperative to use the survivor's voices as guidance when reviewing the policy and procedures annually, and making recommendations and/or changes to the policy by CUNY Administrators (for e.g College President, Vice President, Dean of Students, and students represented from the student government).

In addition to the above, we have successfully submitted and have had additional national and state empirical data well received by Vice Chancellor Jordan, and have provided connections for administration to use as they continue to pass the torch and share responsibility for policy implementation.

What to do now?

Well, if you are a CUNY community member, continue to keep a watchful eye on your own actions and continue to educate yourself on sexual violence and prevention! The new policy allows for access to education and continual review boards to ensure implementations, but it is up to you to take on a level of responsibility for yourself and your community!

Below is the policy that was in effect as of July 1st :

THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES CONCERNING SEXUAL ASSAULT, STALKING
AND DOMESTIC AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS

I. POLICY STATEMENT

The City University of New York seeks to create and maintain a safe environment in which all members of the University community—students, faculty and staff—can learn and work free from the fear of sexual assault and other forms of violence. The University’s policies on Workplace Violence and Domestic Violence and the Workplace apply to all acts of violence that occur in the workplace or that may spill over into the workplace. The University’s Sexual Harassment Policy prohibits many forms of unwelcome conduct, including but not limited to, physical conduct of a sexual nature. This policy is specifically directed towards sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence and stalking committed against students on and off-campus.

CUNY wants all victims of sexual assault, stalking and domestic and intimate partner violence to know that the University has professionals and law enforcement officers who are trained in the field to assist student victims in obtaining help, including immediate medical care, counseling and other essential services. If the perpetrator is also a member of the CUNY community, the college will take prompt action to investigate, and, where appropriate, to discipline and sanction the perpetrator. CUNY urges all victims to seek immediate help in accordance with the guidelines set forth in this policy with the assurance that all information received from a complaint will be handled as confidentially as possible.

In order to eliminate sexual assaults and other forms of violence perpetrated against students, and to create a safe college community, it is critical to provide an appropriate prevention education program and have trained professionals to provide vital supportive services.

Accordingly, CUNY is committed to the following goals:

• Providing clear and concise guidelines for students to follow in the event that they or someone
they know have been the victim of a sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, or stalking.

• Assisting victims of sexual assault or abuse in obtaining necessary medical care and
counseling, whether be on or off-campus.

• Providing the most informed and up-to-date education and information to its students about how
to identify situations that involve sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence, or
stalking, and ways to prevent these forms of violence.

• Educating and training all staff members, including counselors, public safety officers and student
affairs staff, to assist victims of sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, or stalking.

• Ensuring that disciplinary procedures are followed in the event that the alleged perpetrator is a CUNY student or employee.

II. PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE
Obtaining assistance after a student is sexually assaulted, stalked or is in an abusive relationship is extremely important and can involve different points of on-campus contact for students, faculty and staff, including the Public Safety Department, Women’s/Men’s Centers and Counseling Departments, and/or the Dean of Student Development/Student Affairs. Each provides different forms of assistance which together address many of the needs of survivors.

• Contact Law Enforcement Personnel Immediately

CUNY urges any student who has been the victim of a sexual assault or other act of violence or abuse, or any student or employee who has witnessed a sexual assault or other act of violence against a student, to immediately report the incident to the college Public Safety Department if the attack occurred on-campus, or to call 911 or go to the local NYPD precinct if the incident took place off-campus. Each college shall be provided with a list of emergency contact numbers as part of its orientation and training programs.

• Seek Immediate Medical Attention

It is critical that victims of a physical assault receive comprehensive medical attention as soon as possible. For a sexual assault in particular, immediate treatment and the preservation of evidence of the attack (i.e. retain the clothing worn during the attack and do not shower) is crucial to a criminal investigation. If a student believes that she/he may be the victim of date rape by being drugged, she/he should go directly to a hospital to receive a toxicology examination since such drugs only remain in a person’s system for a short period of time. In all other circumstances, public safety and police personnel can assist the victim in obtaining medical care. Each college shall be provided with a list of local hospitals, some of which are designated as SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) hospitals that are specially equipped to handle sexual assaults and are trained to gather minute evidence from such assaults. Rape crisis advocates at emergency rooms are also trained to handle domestic violence. EMS will be directed to bring victims to a SAFE hospital at their request. Medical attention is critical not only to treat internal and external injuries and to combat the possibilities of sexually transmitted infections and/or pregnancy, but also to collect evidence that can be used against the alleged perpetrator. It is also vital to ongoing safety and recovery that victims receive emotional support and professional counseling as soon as possible after the attack.

• Seek On-Campus Assistance

CUNY encourages student victims to contact the Dean of Student Affairs/Student Development to obtain assistance in accessing medical and counseling services, or to make any necessary changes to the student’s academic program or residential housing situation. Public Safety can assist victims getting to and from campus safely, filing a police report and obtaining an order of protection against the perpetrator. Victims can also file a complaint with the College against a perpetrator who is a student or employee of the University with the Dean of Student Affairs/Student Development and the Public Safety Office.

• Obtaining an On-Campus Advocate

Student victims of a sexual assault, stalking or domestic or intimate partner violence shall be provided with on-campus support in the form of an advocate from the Women’s/Men’s Center (if there is one on campus) or an appropriately trained counselor to assist them in handling the various aspects of their ordeal, such as: 1) explaining to victims their options of whether or not to report the incident to campus or law enforcement authorities; 2) providing guidance if they require medical attention; 3) providing guidance in obtaining crisis intervention and/or ongoing counseling services (or a referral to obtain the necessary services if such services are not available on campus); and 4) assisting victims throughout the College’s disciplinary process if they choose to file a complaint against another student in connection with the incident.

• Handling Sexual Assault, Stalking and Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence
Complaints On-Campus
The Colleges shall act promptly in response to information that a student has been sexually assaulted, or has been the victim of domestic or intimate partner violence or stalking by another member of the CUNY community. Upon receipt of a complaint, the College shall undertake an appropriate investigation. If it appears that there is sufficient evidence to warrant disciplinary charges against a student or staff member, such charges shall be brought pursuant to the appropriate University procedures or collective bargaining agreement. If the perpetrator is a student and the matter is brought before a hearing, the victim and alleged perpetrator are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present and to be informed of the outcome of the proceedings. The victim is entitled to a report of the results of the proceeding at her/his request. If a student is found guilty of committing a sexual assault or other act of violence against another CUNY student or employee after a disciplinary hearing, the penalties may include suspension, expulsion from residence halls, or permanent dismissal from CUNY.
In addition, if during the course of the investigation and/or disciplinary process the perpetrator, or anyone on his/her behalf, seeks to contact the victim so as to harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce the victim in any way, the College reserves the right to bring additional disciplinary action against the actor. Such conduct by any member of the CUNY community will not be tolerated.
• Confidentiality

The University recognizes that confidentiality is particularly important to victims of sex crimes, domestic and intimate partner violence and stalking. If the victim seeks counseling with a licensed professional and/or works with an advocate from the campus, those communications will be confidential. CUNY encourages victims in all circumstances to seek counseling in order to speak about her/his options and to begin the recovery period.

While complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, every effort will be made to maintain confidentiality on a “need to know” basis. Generally, the wishes of a victim not to report a sexual assault or incident of domestic/intimate partner violence or stalking to the police will prevail, though the College reserves the right to notify the police when it believes that such reporting is necessary for the protection of the College community. Such notification, however, will be done without divulging the victim’s identity and will be done only for the purpose of providing a campus-wide safety alert. In addition, the College must adhere to legal mandates such as Title IX, medical reporting laws, and the Campus Security Act. For example, CUNY is required to make an annual report documenting the occurrences of violent crimes on campus, including sexual assault. However, this report does not include any information identifying the individuals (including the victims) linked to these crimes.

III. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES CONCERNING SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS

The President and Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development of each college shall be responsible for implementing this policy in accordance with the most up-to-date information and resources pertaining to sexual assault, stalking and domestic/intimate partner violence education and prevention, and victim assistance. The following steps must be taken to implement this policy:

1. Publication: A copy of this policy shall be easily accessible on the CUNY website and on the website administered by each College. A summary shall also be incorporated into every College student handbook. In addition, copies of the policy and procedures shall be made available in student centers, residence halls, student affairs/student development offices, women’s/men’s centers, counseling centers, health clinics and public safety departments, and shall be distributed to all new students during orientations.

2. Prevention/Risk Reduction Education: Each College shall develop materials and programs to educate its students, faculty and staff on the nature, dynamics, common circumstances and effects of sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence and stalking, and the means to reduce their occurrence and prevent them. Prevention education should provide up-to-date and relevant information, such as education pertaining to bystander intervention, the importance of peer networks and the significance of fostering a community of responsibility.

Prevention education materials and programs shall be incorporated into campus orientation activities for all incoming undergraduate and graduate students (including transfers), and shall be made available to all student activity groups, clubs and athletic teams. In addition, all residence halls shall have a mandatory orientation on sexual assault, stalking and domestic/intimate partner violence prevention. Colleges are encouraged to assist in the organization of peer education groups and to provide resources to such groups so that the groups can provide training and outreach to other students throughout the academic year. Since the abuse of alcohol is frequently involved in occurrences of sexual assault and other forms of violence, it is important that the education program include education about the deleterious effects of alcohol abuse.

3. Professional Training: Each College shall provide periodic training relating to the prevention and handling of sexual assaults, stalking and domestic/intimate partner violence for all relevant personnel, including public safety officers, counselors, student affairs staff and residence hall assistants by experts trained in the field. Education and training shall also be made available to any interested faculty and staff member. Each campus must have at least one qualified staff or faculty member serve as a designated liaison and trainer.

4. Oversight by CUNY Central Administration: The University Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shall monitor compliance with this policy at all of the campuses, shall review the policies and procedures on an annual basis, and shall make recommendations in the event that updates to prevention and education information are necessitated. In addition, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shall provide educational materials that may be needed to ensure full implementation of this policy on every campus. Liaisons will be identified from each campus who will receive standardized training in order to fulfill their responsibilities on their campuses. The policies, procedures and outreach materials and programs will be subject to a periodic process of assessment in order to maintain efficacy.

*The policy is currently being placed on the University's homepage and individual college pages, as well as placed in mandated sites around campuses. 

 So this is it, we thank you for supporting us during this two year venture and hope you will join in with us as we forge ahead with our newest initiative, the Torture Awareness Campaign (TAC) that you can find out more about through our webpage. 

To building a Greater CUNY!!

SGC  

WE DID IT!!!!

SGC is proud to announce the following:

We will be wrapping up the tracker with a final post on recommendations for the implementation of the version of the policy that has been passed, which you will find on our website in a few days. Thank you for sharing in this journey with us, engaging in dialogue, passing the word on to friends and colleagues, and cheerleading us on all the way! Feel free to keep up with us on our website, we have other projects in store to continue building a Greater CUNY!!

Special thanks and shout out to our committed Media Team that kept the tracker going: Darakshan Raja, Sonatha Allan and Rabeea Jabbar!

It's been a pleasure,

Elischia Fludd
Chair
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)
http://www.cunysgc.com/
cunysgc@gmail.com

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POLICY ACTION ALERT!!

After extra months of re-negotiations, SGC is proud to annouce the following action alert:

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Sexual Assault Policy set for approval from BOT in April

The policy is done and the multi-level processes of approval have long begun since the end of the fall 2009 semester.

SGC has gotten confirmation from the Vice Chancellor and head of the taskforce, Frederick Schaffer, that the policy has wildly impressed the Council of Presidents and the Committee on Student Affiairs and is reported to be in the hands of the University Student Senate (USS). All projections appear well for the policy's passage.

The projection is for the Board of Trustees to get it in time for their April meeting, which is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month!

It's been a long road, and when you get closer to a destination, the road seems to get longer. It's a waiting game folks.

As usual, we will keep you posted.

Dedicated to building a Greater CUNY one step at a time,

SGC








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Sexual Assault in LGBT Communities

By Rabeea Jabbar

Sexual Assault in LGBT Communities

Sexual Assault in LGBT Communities occurs frequently among members of the same sex also known as “Same Sex Sexual Assault”. Most people get violent among members of the same sex, and they often get raped and go into denial. Only a very small percentage of people report the rapes within their communities. The rate of these rapes going unreported is roughly the same as rape among heterosexuals. Many people also seem unaware of such rapes within their communities.

According to Wcasa's Bi-Annual Educational Journal recent survey, “A study on 70 survivors of sexual violence by Girshick (2002, forthcoming) showed how serious the denial is. Lesbians were caught off-guard by sexual assault at the hands of another woman. Nora's comment is typical: I have a hard time acknowledging that women can be violent and that a woman can rape another woman. In talking about her volunteer training at a domestic violence agency, Cecile said, Obviously I was in some denial myself, but I think that their analysis of battering not only didn't include lesbian battering but made lesbian battering pretty much impossible”.

Denial is one of the most common issues among rape survivors among depression, anger, suicidal thoughts, fear, and humiliation. Domestic violence among LGBT communities is another serious issue and is also often underreported. In many ways rape and domestic violence LGBT relationships can be avoided by family and friends providing unconditional love and support, listening to survivors, believing in them when they say that they were raped, making them understand it was not their fault, and by keeping it confidential.

Rape survivors should also not be pushed to make decisions but as a friend or family member one should allow them to take charge and let them make decision for themselves. Here's a video on Lesbian rape also known as “Corrective Rape” i.e. raping a woman and torturing her in order for her to become straight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBXBtC-5Eko&feature=related

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NEWEST DRAFT VERSION OF POLICY NOW UP!

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

We hope you are doing well with the stress of finals and papers! 

We are pleased to bring you the latest draft version of the CUNY policy on on our website .

The taskforce is set to patch up last additions to the policy in time for an early January submission of the policy to the CUNY Board of Trustees.

This process is coming to a close soon and we are anticipating the policy's passage once it is in the hands of the Board of Trustees.

Be safe and well for this holiday and we'll see you in the new year!


SGC


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Sexual Assault in LGBT Population

Sexual Assault occurs among individuals of all sexual orientation.

Below are some information that explores sexual assaults in LGBT communities.

What is same-sex sexual assault?
• Same-sex sexual assault may include (but is not limited to) forced vaginal or anal penetration, forced oral sex, forced touching, or any additional form of forced sexual activity.
• Same-sex sexual assault may occur on a date, between friends, partners or strangers.

What issues around rape are unique to the LGBT community?
• Survivors who are not "out" may find sharing and/or reporting the rape especially difficult or even impossible.
• The uncertainty of knowing the level of sensitivity of resources may make reaching out for support very difficult.
• Lack of awareness of same-sex rape both within and without the LGBT community may make silence seem the only option.
• If the LGBT community is small, the fear of other's disbelief and/or people "taking sides" may cause the survivor to keep silent.
• Guilt and self-blame may take the form of questioning ones sexual identity and sexuality. These, rather than the rape may become the central issues.
• Internalized homophobia may compound the complexities of strong emotions after rape.
• Gay/bi male survivors may face the fear of not being believed and/or being ridiculed because of the stereotype of men never rejecting a sexual opportunity.
• Lesbian/bi women survivors may face the fear of not being believed if they are raped by a female because of the myth that "women don't do that sort of thing."

What issues are common to all rape survivors?
• Fear, humiliation, self-blame, depression, denial, powerlessness, anger and suicidal feelings are common after rape.
• The need to be believed and reassured that what happened was in no way their fault.
• The need to be given the dignity of making their own decisions about any course of action.

How can I be helpful as a friend or partner?
• By believing your friend or partner who has been raped.
• By respecting the need for confidentiality.
• By avoiding judgmental comments.
• By controlling your own feelings of anger and/or frustration.
• By asking how you can be helpful rather than giving unsolicited advice.
• By respecting her or his decisions even when yours might be different.
• By being a good listener.
• By being honest with yourself if you have trouble handling the aftermath of the rape.
• By finding other sources of support if this is the case.
• By offering unconditional love and support.
• By avoiding pressure to resume any form of sexual activity until initiated by your partner.

*“There are many levels to internalized and externalized homophobia,” and in order to comprehend same-sex sexual assault, it is significant to construct an obligation to accept and confront homophobia.

*It is also imperative to distinguish that individuals within the LGBT community are beleaguered for sexual assault due to professed gender expression.

*Sexual violence is used as a form of social control to maintain heterosexism.

The two (2) videos below portrays some example of how LGBT communities are treated in Iraq and South Africa.

Gays in Iraq terrorized by threats, rape, murder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ummPbp2EY

South African black men rape South African black lesbians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAh-6ANY480

Resources for the LGBT Community

• California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
www.calcasa.org

• Community United Against Violence
www. cuav.org

• National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
www.ncavp.org/

• Northwest Network
www.nwnetwork.org

• The Network/La Red
www.thenetworklared.org/

• Survivor Project
www.survivorproject.org/

• Out Front
www.outfront.org/

• PFLAG
www.pflag.org

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An Invisible Threat

Stalking: AN INVISIBLE THREAT

Part1: Prevalence

Stalking in America is a major problem. Attention towards stalking occurred as a result of celebrities who were being stalked. In the past decade 50 states have passed anti-stalking laws. The study of stalkers has been limited to a small number of clinical samples. There is a lack of empirical data that exists on stalkers and on the issue of stalking. The major questions that are discussed within a major national study on stalking include the prevalence of stalking in the United States, who stalks whom, and how often stalkers overtly threaten their victims. Other questions within the study included how often stalking is reported to the police, as well as what are the psychological consequences of stalking.

What is stalking?
Stalking is considered threatening and harassing behavior which is carried out repeatedly. Common practices include threatening behaviors such as appearing at the individual’s home, their place of work, their business, making harassing phone calls, vandalizing the individual’s property and cyber-stalking, which is bombarding someone with e-mails, instant messages, and other forms of communication. With the advancement of technology, stalkers have newer ways of conducting the stalking.

While stalking differs from states to states, the following is taken from the New York State Penal Code for stalking. If anyone wants more information, please look at the National Center for Victims of Crime (http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=DB_Register204) .

Legal Definitions of Stalking
Stalking differs in each state. The CUNY prevention-based sexual assault policy outlines New York State Law on stalking. In addition Safe Horizon’s website provides more in-depth information on stalking and services for individuals who feel they are being stalked. Legally most states do present stalking within the context of someone who is willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following the individual.

Prevalence
· Stalking is more prevalent within the United States than was thought prior.
8% of women and 2% of men are stalked within their lifetime. Around 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men have been stalked within their lifetime. As suggested by Tjaden and Thoenness stalking needs to be considered a public health as well as a public health concern
· Invisible Groups: Alaska Native women as well as American Indian women were considered to more likely to report being stalked than any other racial groups
· Stalking cuts across gender. However 78% of stalking victims are female and 87% are male
· Adults between the ages of 18-29 are the primary targets and make up over 52% of all victims
· Perpetrators who stalk are known to the victim(Lack of research exists within the field of stalking by intimate partners/relevant for sexual assault and intimate partner violence incidents)
· Strong link exists between forms of violence in intimate relationships.
· Average Stalking Case lasts about 1.8 years. Approximately 1/5 of the victims move away from
31% of victims who were cohabiting with their partner and were stalked were also sexually assaulted. Approximately 1 out of 3
Stalking rates were highest among Spouse/Ex Spouse relationships. Interestingly for stalking carried out by a stranger, more males reported being stalked by females.
· Less than 50% of the stalking victims are actually directly threatened by their stalkers but they do feel an intense level of fear.
· Deplorably less than half actually report their stalking to the police and only in ¼ cases are the suspects actually arrested. Only 12% of stalking cases actually result in any conviction
· From all of the victims who did receive restraining orders, approximately 69 percent of the women and 81 percent of the men said their stalkers violated the order.
· Only 30 percent of female stalking victims and 20 percent of male stalking victims seek psychological counseling as a result of their victimization

College-Aged Women
· In another study the sexual victimization of college women they found that in a survey of the rates of women on college campuses(156.5 per 1,000 female students). On a college campus approximately 13.1 percent of the female students had been stalked. This challenges the National Survey as women within the college age population.
· Within the same study women were stalked by a boyfriend (42.5percent), classmate(24.5 percent), acquaintance(10.3percent), friend(5.6percent)

This blog is followed by two other blogs that look at cyberstalking and how such research can be employed towards the policy.



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Stalking, Privacy, and What we Can Do

Part2:Stalking, Privacy, and What we Can Do By Rabbea Jabbar

Instead of shutting down our face books because we fear stalkers, we can find ways to protect our privacy and keep our face book information to a bare minimum, so our private lives are not being completely revealed. Although the face book stalking trend is a new phenomenon mostly common among females, face book does allow in many ways to help you protect your privacy and control the information you share with others. This allows your privacy not to be compromised.

Caroline Harting says, “Facebook was stalking me”. Many face book users are leaving face book due to fear of privacy. However, stalking does not start or end on face book.
If your stalker has been verbally warned by you and still does not leave you alone, instead of negotiating with your stalker, call the Unlawful Call Center at 1 (800) 518-5507. Familiarize yourself with a 24 hour store; never go home alone, if you are being stalked. Inform friends, family members, co workers, and neighbors about your stalker. Save any text messages, voice mails and threatening letters. If you have a restraining order against your stalker, carry a copy with you at all times. Also save a picture of your stalker, if you have any, and give it to friends and family members. You can have your name removed from any adverse directories. Avoid calling toll free 800, 866, 888, 877, and 900 numbers, or use a pay phone of you decide to call a toll free number, so that your phone number is not captured in the Automatic Number Identification. Order “Complete Blocking” or “per line” blocking so that your home phone number is not disclosed when you make phone calls from home, and keep a log of every stalking incident.

Many victims fail to report about their stalker, and when they do decide to file a police report months later, many police officers are likely to not take the victims seriously. It's very important to not let a police officer intimidate you. Once you call 911, and you are afraid to leave your house, have a police officer come to your house. Be polite, persistent and provide the officer with as much details as possible. Although every stalking case is unique in its own way, every little piece of evidence matters. Do not let an officer leave your house without giving you a report number. If one police report does not work, you may need to file multiple police reports, and make more phone calls if necessary. Also remember that stalkers are unpredictable. They act on their impulses. They are also very likely to pretend to be the victim after being reported. 90-95% of the time they will portray to be the victim. Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!

How Should CUNY employ the data from research

Part3: How Should CUNY employ the data from the research

The previous two studies that have been cited provide us as CUNY students with a piece of the framework we should think of in terms of the prevention-based sexual assault policy. (Please watch the townhall meeting for further information at CUNYSGC.COM.) As we are aware the policy incorporates pieces on stalking. As seen in the two studies, stalking is highest among ages 18-29, which definitely fits the age demographics of CUNY. Within the second study that looked at stalking among college-aged women, they found a higher rate of stalking among college-aged females. We also know there is an overlap between domestic violence, sexual assault, and incidents of stalking. We need to also think about male victims of stalking and the LGBT population, as well as our large immigrant population, which includes undocumented students. This is where we must address the issue of marginal populations and invisible populations. We have to understand that when it comes to the support network and the access to services, we as CUNY students must divert from the general model where certain populations are deemed victims and thus have access to services. What I mean by this is realistically we know that there are certain populations-males, LGBT, immigrants, undocumented, special needs population-have a more difficult time accessing services. Therefore while the prevention-based policy includes the pieces on stalking, it is a beginning not an end. This is why it is so important to make sure we have advocates that are trained on these different issues where they can assist students.

In addition stalking just like sexual assault and intimate partner violence are not one-size fits all models. Therefore we must challenge ourselves to think beyond just categories where we separate things such as sexual assault, incidents of stalking and domestic violence, for as we have seen from the studies they are occurring simultaneously, which further complicates the situation. The fact that anyone is being stalked negatively impacts their ability to academically excel while places them in fear. This also corrodes our own sense of safety. Educational institutions are places where we want to have the social atmosphere where we feel safe and comfortable. The act of stalking violates that very personal space of safety. Therefore it is up to us as students to generate a dialogue around these issues where we think beyond the regular framework as domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking are different. While the policy is important and plays a vital role in affirming that the CUNY system will not tolerate it, it is us the CUNY student who must stand at the forefront and help our fellow students.

COMPLETE TOWN HALL VIDEO IS UP!

SGC is excited to finally bring you the full video of the Queens College Town hall that took place on October 22nd.

The video is located on our website. Feel free to leave comments, it is imperative that you weigh in on the policy that will affect YOU!

Also note the featured video of our interview with Jessica Spector from the Urban Justice Center that took place after the town hall.


To Building a Greater CUNY!

SGC



Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!

BREAKING NEWS: TASKFORCE STALLS IN MEETING FOR NOVEMBER

The CUNY Sexual Assault Policy Taskforce was supposed to have met by now. In fact, dates were proposed well before the Queens College Townhall for the taskforce to meet at the end of October- first week in November. So why hasn't the taskforce met?

Because the policy is still being shown to other groups outside of CUNY at the expense of a third and final townhall for CUNY students!

It was understandable to forego another townhall because the Board of Trustees needed to have the policy go through one or more of its committees in November before it's full meeting on November 22nd. It is not, however, acceptable to have preferential treatment for outside groups to be able to comment on the policy when CUNY students are not given yet another chance (which is actually an agreement within the original proposal and located in the minutes of the taskforce early on, published in this SGC post. )

SGC Chair and taskforce member Elischia Fludd is currently advocating for the taskforce to uphold its promise and commit to a 3rd townhall since CUNY students, the largest stakeholders of this policy, have been disregarded to favor the opinion of outside groups. 

To building a Greater CUNY,

SGC

Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!

DRUG FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT

"Rape drugs make it relatively easy for rapists to gain control of their victims. Perpetrators do not have to overcome any form of resistance. They do not have to use physical force. They do not have to threaten to harm the victim to get compliance. Nor do they have to be concerned about a victim's screams attracting attention. The drugs they administer immobilize and silence the victim. (National Institute of Justice Journal, 2000)"

In July 2007, the Department of Justice released the results of a national study that looked at the prevalence of drug-facilitated and incapacitated sexual assault and forcible rape. The results were astonishing and deplorable. Estimates have found that nearly 673,000 women in colleges were raped. From the 673,000, 160,000 women experienced drug-facilitated sexual assault. And more than 200,000 women were incapacitated. The major issue with drug-facilitated-sexual-assault is that many victims have no idea whether they were drugged. In order to take legal recourse, the individual must present themselves at a hospital where they can screen for drugs. However, the window period is very short for most of these drugs leave the body, and once they leave the body, evidence cannot be collected for the purpose of taking legal recourse.

The problem that exists in cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault or where the victim is incapacitated is many victims may not recognize that they have been raped. Even if they know they were forced, the fact that either they were under the influence of drugs or their assailant was means for them the lines of accountability may get blurry. For example recently there was a case where a young-college aged woman stated she had went to a party and a guy asked to hook up with her. She said no to him, and then he lured her into a room by begging her to help him with an emergency. She did so and he raped her. She wasn't really clear whether it was rape or not because the assailant had been drunk. In this case the victim was not incapacitated or under the influence of drugs but the assailant was and he used that to his advantage telling her that at parties it is normal for people to have sex. While she knew that something was wrong, it was difficult for her to label it rape.

Such hesitancy to frame it as rape as well as to blame one-self for what happened has translated into low rates of reporting. For example for sexual assault cases for women in colleges, the reporting rate is 12%. The number is ever smaller for victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault who report. Some of the reasons why college-aged women do not take action against the perpetrator include not wanting their peers and social-support systems to know about the rape, the fear of retaliation, the uncertainty about whether a crime actually occurred, and the victim may not be sure whether the crime was serious enough to report. Again within drug-facilitated sexual assault cases, most victims know their perpetrators.

From the perspective of perpetrators, Abbey, Parkhhill, Clinton-Sherrod, Zawacki (2007), in their study compared men who committed sexual assaults found that on the contrary to what social views may think, perpetrators usually pick the victims and then isolate them from their friends or social circle. The perpetrators will often come off as if they are rescuing the victim by offering an incapacitated individual(drunk, high, or passed out) to what they will convey to the victim as a safe place. Perpetrators will use the fact that the victim was intoxicated to convince them their assault was consensual or normal, and that is how things are. This is even if the victim remembers. An overwhelming majority of these perpetrators are repeat offenders who have targeted multiple victims. Therefore contrary to what society may think when perpetrators who commit such assaults do it because they are incapacitated is misleading and is another place for perpetrators to have the space to commit rapes and violate others without having to worry about the consequences. It is important to mention that while the statistics in the national study focused on college-aged women, men are also victims of drug facilitated sexual assaulted.

However we can stand firm and work to prevent such incidents from occurring. We can be more attentive when we are out in social gatherings, at parties, in clubs, and bars. We can educate men and women about the devestating crime the drug facilitated sexual assault is and the physical as well as psychological scars that victims will suffer from. On the most basic level we can start by changing our own attitudes towards drug-facilitated-sexual assault where we usually place the blame on the victim rather than giving them the social support, which can be instrumental in the recovery process.

Queens College Townhall Update

Warm Greetings!

SGC would like to extend a round of thank you's to the following people for making the town hall a success:

SGC Project Manager for the Town hall: Dear Auneatitrakul
Co-Sponsors: Queen's College Democratic Student Alliance (DSA)
Moderator: Natalie Shields 
Town hall volunteers: Andrew  DeMasters, Joanna Lund-Pops, Roland Regos, Samantha  Shlimbaum, Diana Hidalgo, Asna Erfan and Mike Cabajal
Queens College Student Affairs Administrator Dr. Joe
Panelists: Kristen Bowes, CUNY Associate General Counsel; Nick Kanellopolous, City College Alumnae; Jessica Spector, Urban Justice Institute; and Jerin Alam, Hunter College Alumna.
CUNY Central for concerted efforts in advertising the event throughout CUNY news and for providing refreshments
Queens College Student Association for extending a hand of solidarity in this effort

Last but not least and special thanks goes to the approximate 40 CUNY students, faculty, alumni and administration that attended the town hall! CUNY members came out from all over, including Kingsborough, John Jay, Hunter and Queens College.

SGC looks forward to updating you with the video of the town hall and personal reaction interviews that took place following the event.

We have the policy open for comments on our website , as well as a poll and a petition in favor of the current policy draft.

NEXT STEPS include a taskforce meeting to review student input, giving the policy over to the Board of Trustee committee for review and the voting of the policy at the November Board of Trustee's meeting.

To building a Greater CUNY,

Elischia Fludd
Chair
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)









Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!

CUNY POLICY TRACKER RECEIVES BLOG AWARD!

BREAKING NEWS

SGC is excited to share with you wonderful news!

The CUNY Policy Tracker has joined the ranks of thousands of blogs as an award for its content!

This award, given by substance-abuse-counselor.com comes as a direct result of our information on substance abuse related information! Substance-abuse-counselor.com operates the largest website featuring more than 30,000+ websites and blogs.  Average site vistors reach 200,000+ international unique visitors! 

SGC's esteemed mention can be found here


A HUGE thank you to our Media Coordinator, Darakshan Raja, who is a regular blog contributor and coordinates volunteers that contribute to the blog! Please join us in celebrating the great work of Darakshan and her team!

We also want to thank Substance-abuse-counselor.com for such an honor!

We look forward to continuing to serve you with accurate, thought provoking, professional and resourceful material!

To building a greater CUNY!

Elischia Fludd
Chair
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)
www.cunysgc.com
cunysgc@gmail.com





Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!

LATEST POLICY DRAFT POSTED ON WEB

Breaking News:

SGC has posted the policy on its website: www.cunysgc.com.  The latest policy draft contains provisions for stalking and domestic violence education.

Check it out and comment on the policy!

SGC also has a 'TAKE ACTION' section, where you can sign in agreement with the policy's provisions.

Follow us on Twitter for immediate updates.


Working on building a greater CUNY,

SGC







Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!

SGC PRESENTS ITS NEW WEBSITE!!!!!!!!

 GREETINGS!!!

SGC is very excited to bring you news of our website launch!!!!

Please find us at www.cunysgc.com.

You will find the site chock full of information that will be updated frequently to provide the utmost service to CUNY students. Our Tracker will continue to examine sexual assault as it pertains to the policy up through the first implementation of the approved policy. We look forward to keeping you posted.

News of the upcoming townhall at Queens College on October 22nd is located on our site, along with a downloadable version of the flier and our press advisory on the townhall for your convenience. 


To building a Greater CUNY!





Become involved! VISIT US AT CUNYSGC.COM!

DFSA:Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

Current Events: The case of Roman Polanski has received a lot of media press, and sadly due to his status as a famous director, he has a line of famous friends, men and women, who believe he should not be jailed for the rape of a thirteen-year old girl. Polanski had drugged and raped a thirteen year old in 1977 in Los Angeles, and had himself pled guilty to a lesser charge of having unlawful sex to with a minor and ran to Europe prior to being sentenced (http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anotherthing/479379/roman_polanski_has_a_lot_of_friends). Not only Hollywood celebrities but prolific writers like Salman Rushdie have declared their support for Polanski. Other stars include Milan Kundera, Pedo Almodavar, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese have also given him their support. Bernard-Henri Levy stated Polanski has made a youthful error. Even Whoopi Goldberg stated his crime wasn't "rape rape but rape." Foremost Whoopi makes no sense, rape is rape period. There is no such thing as "rape rape." While I do not want to single out Whoopi, her comment does show us that in our society, people are not educated or aware about the issue of sexual assault. Sadly this incident was another missed opportunity to begin a national debate on sexual violence. Therefore, I would like to focus this blog on drug facilitated sexual assault since Polanski had drugged the thirteen-year-old girl to incapacitate her. In addition, this blog will also clarify the stereotype that perpetrators like Polanski who use drugs to carry out an assault should be excused because they didn't understand what they were doing.

In addition, I believe if Polanski had been a regular individual, he would have received the status of a sex offender and would have been branded, and would have been considered a threat to society. The same stars who are supporting him would have been carrying banners asking for his incarceration, because they would have thought of their own kids. Therefore, in this case, his status and access to power have showed us that there is a different level of justice for people in power.

Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA): The definition given by LeBeau and Mozayani (2001) on DFSA is they are offenses where the victim goes through nonconsensual sexual acts while they are under the influence of a drug or go through a sexual assault due to the unconscious effects of alcohol/ drugs, and are not able to resist or consent.
According to NYC Alliance's definition of Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault, "sexual assault made easier by the offender's use of an anesthesia type drug that can render the victim physically incapacitated or helpless and unable to give consent to sexual activity." The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault listed two types of drugs used in sexual assault. We should be aware that alcohol is the most commonly used drug.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN 90% OF CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ARE LINKED TO ALCOHOL. Another common DFSA IS ROPHYPNOL: This type of drug is used in "date rape" situations. This drug is tasteless and odorless, and can dissolve clearly into liquid, which makes its detection much more difficult. Rophyies can be taken either orally, ingested, or can be snorted. Rophies can take effect within 15-20 minutes, and the effects may last for more than 12 hours. The drug can be detected in the urine for up to 72 hours after ingestion
It is important to note that whether the drug is taken by the victim willingly or not, it doesn't matter, for the perpetrator has used the drug as a pretext to incapacitate the victim and to victimize them. On the contrary to what people may think that the perpetrator unknowingly sexually assaulted men, we know that perpetrators of drug facilitated sexual assault are well aware of what they are doing and are repeat offenders. The perpetrators use the following things: they groom and pick their victims, isolate the victim from their support network. For example, separating the victim from their friends at a party or a club, so they can manipulate the situation. Individuals who use drugs to carry out sexual assaults may put on a front that they are rescuing the person and will offer to take the individual somewhere safe.

CHALLEGNES: A major challenge with an individual who has experienced DFSA is they may not be aware or recollect what happened. While the victim is facing the same challenges that any individual of sexual assault is feeling, it may be harder in respect to reporting, the forensic exams, and the reactions from their support systems, such as friends and family members. In addition, the perpetrator, since we know in more than 80% is known to the victim, the perpetrator will state the assault was consensual or was sex gone bad. In some cases, the victim may not recollect the events that occurred. For example, in one case, the female was gang raped after being drugged by a group of men, and woke up bleeding, sore and pain, and was having a difficult time recollecting what happened the night before, and who the perpetrators were. Therefore, a way we can help victims of DFSA is by listening to them, rather than blaming them and holding them accountable, for, every time we place the blame on a victim, we have further victimized the individual, and have given the perpetrator the opportunity to violate someone else.

Recent CUNY news and policy updates

SGC would like to acknowledge the recent NY Post article that exposes a few CUNY schools in violation of complete compliance with the Clery Act and would like to present healthy dialogue on how this finding affects the inclusive policy process we have continually advocated for.

Under the Clery Act, mandated crimes to be reported include sex crimes that are forcible and non-forcible, such as rapes and sexual assaults. While this is a legal obligation of the school, it is only a superficial level of addressing the issue of sexual violence. Certainly, a college reporting sexual assaults on campus indicates a reasonable attempt of the college to openly acknowledge any incidences that have occurred. What is more salient, however, is that a college focus on preventing the atmosphere that allows for these crimes to happen.

The process for obtaining a CUNY-wide sexual assault policy has been so far a year and 2 months in counting and is expected to culminate with an approved policy by the Board of Trustees of CUNY in November. Some may wonder why has it taken so long?

The answer is not as one would probably be led to think.

From our point of view, CUNY could have simply accepted the idea of having a sexual assault policy and produced one within a few months. After all, it is mandated for colleges to have a sexual assault policy and this provides CUNY with a way to cover all 23 campuses. However, this process has considered many perspectives on ways to address sexual violence in an effort to not only have a mandated policy, but to have one that is holistic in it's approach to reduce the atmosphere of sexual violence that happens on campuses. Make no mistake about it that is an incredible responsibility and one that SGC helps to shoulder with great resolve. It is important to get this right, to set a precendent that CUNY has the foresight and will to ensure its students are fully protected from all angles of the law, and psychosocial considerations.

SGC will be holding a town hall meeting on October 22nd at Queens College to discuss the affect of the policy for practical implementation and to advance the dialogue surrounding sexual violence to get students to critically analyze the policy for constructive feedback. We look forward to updating you as the date approaches.

The taskforce expects to have a meeting to review the latest policy draft (which includes provisions for stalking) in late October.


To building a greater CUNY,

Elischia Fludd
Founder
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)




Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com.

Alternate Perspectives

Update on Sexual Assault at Hofstra’s Campus

In order to blog about the updates of this case, I had to take a moment and reflect on the various responses I personally had to this case and what I was hearing from individuals. The first distinction I want to draw is the language used to frame the topic. The initial article had presented the gang rape that occurred as a sexual assault. However, in the article where the female who alleged the attacks stated the encounter was consensual, the article is titled, “Hofstra Student Recants Claim of Gang Rape.” I draw attention to these titles because language is a powerful tool on how we frame a topic. When the assumption was that the case was true, the language framed a brutal gang rape as a sexual assault, which dilutes the act for readers. However, in an article where the female stated the encounter was consensual, it took a harsher tone and actually stated what the female had alleged, which adds to the myth that females allege things like gang rape, for it is such a rare occurrence that they never really happen. In addition, the article painted the female as a criminal where the prosecutor has decided to launch a criminal investigation on her. And for the purpose of the media and press attention, the case has been closed.

Let us look at this case through two different angles and what it means for our policy. Primarily it is a horrible incident for any individual to go through a gang rape. It is also horrible to be falsely accused of being a rapist, for in our society that comes with a lifetime stigma, if one is caught and prosecuted. This is important to point out for we know that only 6% of rapists will ever spend a single day in jail (RAINN.ORG). If one is prosecuted, and is wrongfully put in prison and jail, they are categorized as among the most sensitive populations and are in need of protective custody. If and when these individuals are released, they are placed on sex offender registry for the rest of their life. In New York, a debate is raging on whether to civilly commit sex offenders. What this means is that once sex offenders are finishing up their prison or jail sentences, because they may be deemed to be a danger to society, they can be placed in hospitals and facilities for the mentally ill for as long as the psychologists deem it necessary. Therefore, the result of someone living with the label of a sex offender while they did not commit the crime is very serious. Therefore, any policy dealing with sexual assault must include provisions and mechanisms for handling false accusations of sexual assault, and the rights of the accused. However, this is just one way of processing the Hofstra Case.

Another way of looking at the Hofstra Case is by trying to look at this situation from the eyes of the eighteen year old who stated she had been gang raped. One is a sophomore at college, went out to a party, and is gang raped on a campus with thousands of students. One is still trying to process the events that happened in one’s safe space. And we as students do consider our schools as places where we are more comfortable than we are walking on the street, and do consider it part of our more safe areas to be in. Since Hofstra is a dorm, then one feels a sense of safety, as they may feel around their own neighborhood, or areas one is not constantly looking over their shoulder. One is a student and has been violated in their safe space, not to mention being tied up and then begging five men to let one go, and yet they still assault. The next thing one knows is the media is all over it, the police and the prosecutor are involved and arrests are being made. Police officers and the prosecutor are asking you to repeat the same traumatic story over and over again. They are asking you every single detail. Why were you here? Why did you run after him and not call security? Did you scream for help? Where are the bruises on your arm? How did the men look like? Are you honestly telling is no one was around.

Just imagine being gang raped, and then having to prove to different people that you were actually gang raped. When we go through something very traumatic, are we systematically asked why?who?when?where? Yet, if a victim of sexual assault, whether it is gang rape, stranger rape, incest, marital rape, has to prove to police officers, detectives, and a prosecutor that she or he went through the incident. Maybe the reason she said it was consensual was because she didn’t want to go through the billions of questions. This point is important to note because in any sexual assault policy we have a victim should have the right to drop a complaint if they do not want to go through the process, even if they have initiated it, without the fear that dropping the complaint will equate to being criminally investigated for lying or being categorized as a liar and criminal; for, then we have only continued the same cycle of blaming the victim rather than empowering them.

Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com. We currently have an immediate need for:

* A skilled technician with software to make jpeg files to post letters of support on the tracker
* A graphic arts designer to help our website designer
* Skilled media savvy persons to chronicle CUNY's progress for the students on campus blogs, radio and television.
* Organizations and individuals to endorse our cause (willing to sign a letter of support)
* Organizations and individuals to join Students for a Greater CUNY as a member