Medium: Prof. Jennifer M. Gómez Advocates for Holistic Interventions to Combat Campus Sexual Violence
In an article for Spark on Medium.com, Prof. Jennifer M. Gómez from BU School of Social Work and M. Colleen McDaniel, PhD, discuss how current Title IX policies for reducing sexual violence on college campuses are similar to prison systems by treating systemic issues with individual solutions. To improve how college campuses respond to rape and sexual assault, they offer solutions that develop stronger communities and create systemic change.
Excerpt from “Title IX Policies Mirror the Prison System and Harm Student Survivors” by M. Colleen McDaniel and Jennifer M. Gómez, originally posted by Spark:
In the 2010’s, the US Department of Education under President Obama’s administration released Title IX guidance, known as the “Dear Colleague” letter. This sexual violence response guidance recommended reporting policies and investigation processes that mirror the criminal legal system. Specifically, Dear Colleague outlined: universal mandated reporting, investigation and hearing processes similar to courts, and punitive action for offenders.
Over a decade later, campus ‘best practices’ under Title IX still use carceral approaches that systemically harm marginalized survivors by exacerbating codes of silence around sexual violence and harm, while leaving individuals and communities without healing.”