Some Central New York colleges and universities might be paying close attention to a new California law aimed at curbing sexual assault. The law redefines the rules regarding sexual consent at public universities in the state. Vera House Executive Director Randi Bregman says that by shifting the scrutiny off of the victim… this law could encourage more women to report sexual assault.
"Switching to a perspective of ‘yes means yes’ takes the burden off the victim and puts the burden on the accused. I think from the perspective of survivors of sexual assault, this seems like a tremendous step forward.”
Bregman believes this law will not only empower the victims… but it may also benefit those who are accused.
“It’s very clear what the expectations are around consent. That’s one of the most important issues when it comes to sexual assault in any victim is the built-in defense is: ‘I thought I had consent.’”
Bregman hopes that a more clearly established line of consent will allow universities in general to solidify their policies which… in some instances had accidentally exposed some victims.
Syracuse University's Counseling Center is a 24-hour contact point for victims services and reporting sexual assaults.
Bregman also says the new law can only go so far in changing behaviors.
“It takes a lot of different acts and conversations to change culture. Coming up with a policy that says ‘yes means yes’ is an important step in the direction of preventing domestic violence and changing culture. We’re looking locally to try and bring together our campuses to look at the national “It’s on Us” campaign, something that could help us look at how we each take responsibility for preventing sexual assaults before they happen.”
She says, for example, bystanders can take more responsibility to step in. Bregman sees positive change on college campuses…but also notes that campus policies shouldn’t infringe on the privacy rights of victims.
Bregman adds a law such as California’s is not the only step toward preventing sexual assault… but it is something else for Central New York colleges to analyze and consider when making policy decisions.
