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

It seems like this conversation is about several different categories of services at once and that it would be really useful to distinguish between providing information about the process to accused students, providing actual counselling services to accused students, and providing advocacy to accused students.

Alice Vachss

----- Original Message -----

From: Linda Pena

Sent: 01/15/13 03:56 PM

To: 'O'Brien, Lynn',

Subject: RE: responding to students accused of sexual assault

 
On our campus, if the victim went to Equity and Diversity, the campus organization that is responsible for Title IX compliance, the accused perpetrator would be allowed to speak on his behalf. However, to this date accused perpetrators often are more likely to interact with the Director of Judicial Affairs. As the Coordinator of the Sexual Assault Program, to my knowledge we never had an accused perpetrator seeking counseling. Often our accused perpetrators are members of the Greek system and within their organizations, they may provide counseling and a course of action, especially to protect the name of the house. This is an area that is shrouded with complexities, especially for universities to provide the necessary assistance for the victim/survivors, as well as the accused perpetrator. 

Linda Pena 


-----Original Message----- 
From: O'Brien, Lynn [mailto:] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 1:26 PM 
To:  
Subject: responding to students accused of sexual assault 

Dear colleagues, 
I work at the Counseling Center at Marquette University.  We have developed a protocol for working with victims of sexual assault which we think serves to create consistent and sensitive mental health support to survivors who present for care.  We are feeling compelled to develop a protocol for students that present who have been accused of sexual assault as well; in order to be Title IX compliant and to demonstrate similar consistency of practice.  Can any of you direct me to counseling centers where there may already be such a protocol in place. 
Thanks for your assistance. 

Lynn O'Brien, LCSW, LMFT 
Counselor 
Coordinator of Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Services Marquette University 
phone:  (414) 288-7172 
fax:  (414)288-7598