Questions every parent should ask during a campus tour

By On June 2, 2011 · In Campus Safety

Parents have tremendous influence over the college administrators who determine the sexual assault policy at your child’s school. No one wants to think about their child getting hurt or hurting someone else, but not thinking about it won’t make the possibility go away. Here’s a list of questions that every parent should be asking when visting a potential college with your son or daughter.

  • Where may I find statistics on sexual assault at your school for the past few years? (Are the statistics online? How easily can they be accessed? Schools are legally required to make annual reports. )
  • What is the campus sexual assault policy and may I have a copy of it? (Schools are legally required to have a policy and to distribute it to students.)
  • What resources at your school are dedicated to sexual assault? (Look for a combination of crisis center, counseling, and education and awareness programs. Blue lights and escort services alone, while important, are not enough.)
  • Does your school offer a sexual assault prevention program? (Look for programs aimed at preventing people from becoming perpetrators, not just rape whistles. The school should also provide more than a one-time program during orientation week.)
  • Are campus police and school personnel trained to handle sexual assault? (Everyone that a student might approach, such as a resident advisor or a faculty member, should be trained. Even better, everyone on campus should be trained in sexual assault prevention.)
  • What processes or procedures would my child go through if s/he were raped or sexually assaulted? ( Will s/he have immediate access to emergency contraception and HIV prophylaxis? Is there a simple, easy to initiate system for making a report? Can s/he report anonymously?)
  • What are the disciplinary procedures for cases of sexual assault? (Look for clear, specific disciplinary procedures that are easy for students to understand and widely publicized. Better policies will provide immunity to complainants from disciplinary action for lesser offenses such as underage drinking.)

Source: SAFER (students active for ending rape)

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