After a new protocol requiring Ohio University employees to report all sexual assaults was put into place, there was concern that students would be less likely to report sexual assaults. These worries appear to be unfounded, though official numbers have not yet been compiled, said Char Kopchick, OU's director of health education and wellness. I think there's a concern about a decrease of people coming forward
but the way it is set up we do our best to ensure the privacy of victims and the safety of the community as a whole Kopchick said. For the reports that came in through the Health Center and OUPD we did not see a decrease in students accessing either the health services or OUPD. I can't speak for what happened off-campus
but currently we have not seen any decrease as a result of the protocol.
The protocol is the official OU procedure followed when a student alleges that he or she has been sexually assaulted. It states that if any non-health care university employee, including a resident assistant, receives information that an alleged sexual assault occurred, he or she has a duty to report it to the OU Police Department. The case will be investigated, and charges might be filed either in criminal court or through the University Judiciaries.
If someone comes forward about an alleged sexual assault, the employee must inform the accuser immediately that the employee is required to report the accusation to the authorities so that the claim can be investigated, giving the accuser the option of going into more detail in front of the employee, said Judy Piercy, interim director of OU's Residence Life. We want to do what is right for the person victimized
but we want to take precautions to help all of our students
Kopchick said.
Before this fall, OU employees were not required to report sexual assaults to authorities. A committee developed a new approach to reporting and investigating alleged sexual crimes.
It was a challenge determining how we make sure that the victims of alleged sexual assault get all the emotional and physical help they need
along with protecting the student body as a whole
Kopchick said.
Although the protocol has been in place only one quarter, Piercy said it has been met with positive response.
What we are noticing is that many students have said that they appreciate that we're doing something about it
Piercy said. While they may not want to bring another charge against another student
they appreciate that the university is willing to bring charges against their attacker for them.
Even if students choose not to divulge the details of their assaults, university officials make sure that they are taken care of emotionally and physically, Kopchick said. Officials give each accuser a resource packet detailing the services offered to survivors of sexual assault.
The protocol helped the university move from what's best for the individual to what's best for the larger community as a whole
Piercy said.
