‘Mandatory Reporting Is Exactly Not What Victims Need’

In a recent essay for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Professor Elizabeth Armstrong (Sociology, Women’s & Gender Studies, IRWG), along with Kathryn Holland and Jennifer Freyd, highlight the damage that could be caused by new proposed Title IX regulations from the Department of Education. The new rules include mandatory reporting polices that “would force colleges to require their employees to report suspected sex discrimination experienced by students, even if the victims do not consent.”  

Citing research on sexual assault and harassment, they argue that “mandatory-reporting policies can discourage victims from speaking about their experiences to those they trust.” The authors offer an alternative, “mandatory-supporter” model and encourage readers to submit a formal comment with the Department of Education prior to September 12, 2022. 

Read the full essay (courtesy of the University Responses to Sexual Assault on Campus project (URSA).

To submit a formal comment on the proposed rule, visit the Federal Register.