Yet less than 10% of their students tell a college employee and even a smaller number officially report it. It is no different in NOVA, the number of reports on sexual harassment is very low and consequently disturbing. There could be multiple reasons why students are not reporting sexual harassment incidents. If a change is wanted understanding these reasons should be the first step. Most common reasons why victims fall to report according to AAUM are, victims often believe that no one will do anything about the problem. When a person is sexually harassed, it is common to feel their problem is not that “big of a deal” or important to report and no one will take it seriously. Second, victims are afraid of being blamed, blaming the victim has been done so commonly done by perpetrators that victims withhold them-self form reporting. Sexual assault victims often feel that there are many reasons to why they should not report but the biggest reason being it is not “a bid deal” playes the biggest role. Educational institutes need to educate their students and faculties to speak out. Moreover, sexual harassment has a gray and blurry line for both the victims and the departments that are dealing with sexual misconducts. The fact that it is nearly impossible to bring a proof of sexual harassment unlike sexual assault make …show more content…
According to AAUW, schools must develop policies, procedures, and campus wide training to ensure proper handling of sexual violence, and these actions must be outlined in their annual reports. NOVA needs to incorporate trainings and programs into the school system to educate its students on reporting, prevention and better understanding of sexual harassment in general. Even though traditional programs are not something to be disregarded the statistical data we have is a proof more is needed.
A growing number of schools are making sexual violence education mandatory. Elon University in North Carolina, for example, must take a course online before they even reach campus that walks them through the ethics of relationships and alcohol's effect on behavior.
"You can't do a one-time program and expect it to make a difference," says Ruth Anne Koenick, director of the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–New Brunswick. Dartmouth students will get a refresher course every year about healthy relationships and how to prevent and respond to misconduct. Moreover, many schools are building up their online resources explaining stalking, the dangers of date rape drugs, how to support a friend who's been