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

Maria,

This can definitely be a difficult position. Our peereds are required to report up to me as the coordinator of our sexual assault prevention education program and I do all reports to Title IX. With that being said they have training that helps them to front load conversations about their reporting duty. Having this conversation up front then allows them to help our survivors stay in the drivers seat by choosing how much info to tell us and helping with an understanding of how that info may get shared and what happens as a result of that.  They are also trained on how to get students into confidential spaces like our counseling center, medical staff, etc. if they would not like anyone to report the incident. The peereds are also directed to not ask any investigative or identifying questions outside of student status of all involved and location. This info allows us to identify spaces where blanket education and increased security may be helpful without the student loosing control of their own experience.

Amber Mosley
Sexual Assault Prevention Education Coordinator
Sindecuse Health Center
(269)387-2990

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From: "Maria A. Wydra" <>
To:
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 10:51:46 AM
Subject: Question: Requiring Peer Educators to Report Sexual Assault

Hello everyone.

 

I need some assistance from the members of the list serve.

1)      For those of you who hail from universities with sexual violence peer educator programs,

a.       Must your peer eds report to the university incidences of sexual violence they learn about?

b.      Are there times when they are not required to report (e.g., if a friend confides in them?)

c.       What type of peer ed program does your school have (e.g., awareness/prevention education? Advocacy?)

2)      Are your counseling center clinicians required to report sexual violence that they learn about while serving in an outreach capacity/in an educative role to the campus?

 

Why I’m asking:

1)      Our peer educators are required to report. I’m a psychologist at the Towson University Counseling Center, and I run our Sexual Assault Peer Educator program. The university has decided that the peer eds are required to report incidences of sexual assault if they learn of them while serving in “their role as a peer educator.” The reasoning: the university argues that they are representatives of the school, so students may have the expectation when they disclose sexual violence to a peer ed that student is making a report to the university. The person the peer eds must then report to is me . I then forward the reports to the Title IX coordinator. As you can imagine, there are a number of issues with this. I am working on a protocol to resolve some of them. So I’m interested in hearing what other schools are doing.

2)      Therapists at our counseling center are required to report incidences of sexual violence if we learn about these while delivering outreach/ educational programs.

 

Thank you so much for your feedback!

~ Maria

 

Maria Wydra, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist, Sexual Assault Services Coordinator

The Counseling Center at Towson University

8000 York Road

Towson, MD 21252

Ph: 410-704-2512

Fax: 410-704-3453

 

 

 

http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/towsonu

 

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