Courtesy of Vanita Gupta, Head of the Civil Rights Division A new Justice Department report released last week provides valuable guidance and instructive insights to help us better understand the threat of sexual violence on college campuses.  Released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and funded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the report includes a Campus Climate Survey Validation Study (CCSVS), which employed behaviorally-specific questions to survey thousands of students across nine schools. The figures highlighted in the pilot survey portray a disturbing, but not surprising, picture.  President Obama has rightfully described sexual assault as “an affront to our basic decency and humanity.”  Two years ago, he launched the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, which highlighted the important role of campus climate surveys to identify troubling trends and implement effective solutions.  And through guidance, outreach and enforcement, this administration has prioritized its response to the heinous crime of sexual assault. In the Civil Rights Division, we continue to help play a leadership role in this administration-wide effort by enforcing Title IX to ensure that colleges and universities receiving federal funding protect students from sexual assault before it occurs, guarantee a fair … Continue reading Understanding the Threat of Violence on College Campuses