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Letter: End campus rape

Like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, End Campus Rape advocates are looking to ensure justice for survivors, hold offenders accountable and discourage harmful behavior. Following this social-justice model, I believe we can make progress on reducing sexual assault on our college campuses.

As students, parents and alumni of the schools that are under investigation, we can ask questions, support changes and encourage colleges and universities to stand against this violent crime. The website for the film “The Hunting Ground” suggests three questions we can ask colleges:

What are you doing to prevent gender-based violence?



A good answer will include mandatory, in-person bystander-intervention training and consent education throughout students’ time in college.

What services are available to student survivors of assault?




A good answer will include changed dorms, no contact orders, mental-health services and academic support — all at no cost to the survivor and available to all students regardless of the type of violence (dating abuse, rape, stalking, etc.) and the genders of the parties.

How does the school hold perpetrators of violence accountable?

A good answer will include a willingness to suspend or expel students who pose a threat to campus safety and equity while upholding due process for all involved.

Today’s young women are finding their voices, institutions are striving to create the systems necessary to support survivors and reduce the prevalence of sexual violence, and young men and women are receiving the information they need to act as effective bystanders.

Ending campus rape is a social-justice movement I can support.

Amy Egertson Throm

Board of trustees member and volunteer advocate, Response