Wesley Reed | Gateway to Honors, Problem Pitch

What?

My group and I interviewed Andrea Goldblum, Executive Director of Title IX at the University of Cincinnati, regarding the universities policies on sexual assault reporting and prevention. We asked her the following questions:

• Can you describe for us the current process in which a student who has been sexually assaulted reports the crime to your office?
• Do you believe that athletes, or other people of high stature, can get away with sexual assault more easily?
• Compared to other schools, do you believe sexual assault is more or less of an issue on campus?
• What measures does UC take to prevent sexual assault?
• What are some ways you believe UC students can be involved in sexual assault prevention on campus?
• Does the university have confidential and non-confidential employees, or are all university employees required to report a sexual assault if they learn of it?

So what?

Universities are often criticized for how they handle cases of sexual assault. In 2015, a documentary was created called “The Hunting Ground,” in which Andrea was asked to participate, however she declined because they came to her with the intention to “show how awful colleges and universities are” and were unwilling to show that there are people who work hard to be fair and treat everybody with equity, compassion, and fairness.

After talking with Andrea, I gained a much better understanding of how the university learns about sexual assault cases, and how they help mediate them. I learned that UC has employees that are required to report sexual misconduct if they become aware of it, and the university can only intervene if one or more of the parties involved are faculty, staff, or students. I am much more confident now that UC is dedicated to helping students who fall victim to sexual violence, and I have a better understanding of how to help my peers if I hear they have been assaulted.

Now what?

As part of my group interview with Andrea, we discussed ways students can get involved on campus in preventing sexual assault and advocating for students who have been assaulted. In the future, I can help educate my peers to not just be a bystander. Intercede, get help, encourage others to get help if they have been assaulted, just do something. I can impress upon them that it is important to start by believing and ask how you can help them instead of judging them. Andrea said that most of the time when people hear an individual has been assaulted, they ask questions such as “What were you wearing and were you drinking” which places blame on the victim. Lastly, I can help to challenge the culture by calling people out when they make incentive jokes and comments about rape, and when they do things like cat calling. Little steps such as these can help to slowly change our culture.