Spring 2017
Committee:
Legislative Affairs Committee
Whereas, reporting a sexual assault or harassment is sometimes difficult for a victim because of stigma and/or it is a common self-defense mechanism to avoid communication of their trauma, which is described through the three (3) reactions common to victims after their trauma: freeze (feeling paralyzed, feeling too numb to communicate or do anything), flee (leave school and not return to higher education), or fight (file a report with campus authorities or law enforcement) (citation 1);
Whereas, therefore, it is usually extremely difficult for victims to open up and relive their attack or harassment, and they may experience learned helplessness if they do not experience full transparency of the case;
Whereas: victims may feel lack of closure after their pursuit of justice because it is only required that the sanctions that directly relate to them are to be disclosed and reported upon in the outcome of the Title IX cases (citation 2); and
Whereas, victims are not explicitly told whether a warning, reprimand, suspension, or expulsion are used in a case, so victims are not given the opportunity to mentally prepare for a possible sighting of their attackers on campus or gain closure; and it be
Resolved, that the Student Senate of California Community Colleges (SSCCC) advocate for policy change that victims have rights of knowing the explicit sanctions placed upon their attacker (citation 2).
Citation 1: Title IX and VAWA Training for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.titleixcourses.com/title-ix-vawa-training-students/?chapter=49
Citation 2: Know Your Rights: Title IX Requires Your School to Address Sexual Violence*. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/know-rights-201404-title-ix.pdf
Whereas, therefore, it is usually extremely difficult for victims to open up and relive their attack or harassment, and they may experience learned helplessness if they do not experience full transparency of the case;
Whereas: victims may feel lack of closure after their pursuit of justice because it is only required that the sanctions that directly relate to them are to be disclosed and reported upon in the outcome of the Title IX cases (citation 2); and
Whereas, victims are not explicitly told whether a warning, reprimand, suspension, or expulsion are used in a case, so victims are not given the opportunity to mentally prepare for a possible sighting of their attackers on campus or gain closure; and it be
Resolved, that the Student Senate of California Community Colleges (SSCCC) advocate for policy change that victims have rights of knowing the explicit sanctions placed upon their attacker (citation 2).
Citation 1: Title IX and VAWA Training for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.titleixcourses.com/title-ix-vawa-training-students/?chapter=49
Citation 2: Know Your Rights: Title IX Requires Your School to Address Sexual Violence*. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/know-rights-201404-title-ix.pdf