Jane believes she went above and beyond to advocate for herself and other students and she felt disregarded. (Photo by Agnes Lopez for PublicSource)
What can colleges and universities do to prevent and respond to sexual violence and harassment, like stalking?
by Mila Sanina, PublicSource
Content warning: This story contains references to sexual violence.
Jane was a student at Duquesne University in recent years when she was sexually assaulted by another student, whom she had been dating for about a month.
After the assault, she cut ties with him and blocked him on social media. Jane tried to avoid any chance encounters on campus, too.
She coped with her trauma by trying to forget it. The thought of reporting to authorities was overwhelming to Jane. So, similarly to many people who experience sexual violence, she didn’t report it.
But over time, what happened to her became harder to ignore. She filed a Title IX complaint months after the assault. Even after going through the university’s judicial procedures, Jane’s assailant seemed to continue to follow her around campus for months without repercussion, underscoring what experts see as limitations to what colleges can do to rein in sexual violence and harassment.
In Jane’s case, Duquesne University followed the Title IX protocol; they considered her report seriously; they conducted an investigation and held a hearing. But after the Title IX process was complete with a final ruling and disciplinary measures against her assailant, Jane still felt stalked.
Jane asked PublicSource to shield her identity because she doesn’t want the experience to harm her any further. Duquesne University declined to comment, citing the need to maintain student confidentiality, and did not make anyone from its Title IX office available for an interview.
Jane’s story raises questions and concerns about what happens after the Title IX process is technically complete. What happens after the final ruling? How does the enforcement work and, if a no-contact order is issued, what are the mechanisms to prevent stalking?
When Jane returned to campus the semester after the assault, she believes her perpetrator began stalking her. Under the overwhelming load of stress, Jane started having sleeping problems, migraines, extreme fatigue and anxiety.
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