Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Don Lazzarini" <>]

"If you can not promise confidentiality (exception harm to self or
others) the number of survivors who will come into the system will be
much lower."

Having heard similar justification echoed across the nation, I am
curious and interested in questioning the status quo:

1. What "system" are we talking about getting these people into? If it
doesn't include criminal justice and perpetrator accountability does it
qualify as a "system" or more accurately health enhancing personal
treatment for those victimized?

2. Is there any research about confidentiality's specific impact on the
"number of survivors who will come into the system"? Are these beliefs
based on confidentiality data or are other obvious barriers like
embarrassment, confusion, fear of not being believed, self-blame and
lack of knowledge about what constitutes rape, the salient issues
driving the actual numbers? If the preferred "system" for handling
victims is based on personal healing and statistical collection aren't
we focused only on treating symptoms? In such a voluntary "service
seeking health model" doesn't the carrier's ability to create new
victims far outstrip the ability to identify and treat them? Do not the
Health Belief and Transtheoretical Models inform us on the predictable
responses of people impacted by these health related issues?

3. Are the concepts of duty to others and personal sacrifice for the
greater good still part of the social contract? Does a person sexually
assaulted owe a duty to others in the community to report the offense in
an effort to try to prevent others from being victimized? If they don't,
one could reasonably argue reporting sexual assault to the criminal
justice system is self-serving, vengeful and such efforts should not be
supported by public funding. 

4. A lack of institutional will can be easily traced to the mistaken
belief by Administration and the community that sexual assault is a
"private wrong", not a public issue. Does a strong focus on
confidentiality and treatment help to inform such commonly held though
inaccurate social views?

4. If confidentiality is the "holy grail" of all victim related process
are we not enabling the rape of countless new victims? Where should
perpetrator accountability fit in our strategic response to sexual
assault? It would seem our national efforts would benefit from having
specific goals and accurate language contextualizing the issue.

Don Lazzarini M. Ed
Coordinator VAWOC Project
Resource Specialist
208-885-2956