New Campus SaVE Act Will Help Campuses Better Prevent and Respond to Sexual Assault and Other Forms of Intimate Partner Violence

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), the nation's leading advocates for safer college and university campuses, today announced its endorsement of the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (Campus SaVE Act) [H.R. 6461]. The Campus SaVE Act, introduced on Tuesday by Congressmen Thomas Perriello (D-VA 5th) and John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN 2nd) will help campus communities across the United States better prevent sexual assault and other forms of intimate partner violence, as well as provide an essential framework for institutions to use when an incident is reported.

"The Campus SaVE Act targets this issue from the most crucial angles – prevention efforts, collaboration, motivating everyone to become involved in making sure that violence is not tolerated and that victims are supported, and most importantly protecting those who have been victimized," said Melissa Lucchesi of SOC. "Time after time, victims of sexual assault drop out of school, leaving behind her dreams and goals. It is time that every victim is respected and informed of the rights she has in order to better protect her wellbeing and the integrity of her future."

This legislation would update 18-year-old provisions in the federal Jeanne Clery Act to cover a more inclusive range of intimate partner violence including stalking, dating violence, sexual violence or domestic violence in addition to sexual assault. It would also expand campus educational programming already offered under Clery Act programs to include primary prevention and bystander intervention empowering students to respond safely when they encounter sexual violence on campus.

"College campuses should be a safe and secure place of learning, not a place where anyone feels uncomfortable or unsafe," said Congressman Perriello. "This legislation will improve our response to reported incidents, but the ultimate goal is to empower young people to end relationships and seek assistance before they become victims."

About Security On Campus, Inc.

Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), a national non-profit organization, was founded in 1987 by Jeanne Clery's parents, Connie & Howard, after she was raped and murdered in her on-campus residence hall at college, by a fellow student whom she did not know. SOC worked to secure passage of the Jeanne Clery Act, originally known as the Campus Security Act, in 1990 and continues to be the nation's leading voice for the improvement of campus community safety. SOC was recently named the "most influential security focused not-for-profit" by Security Magazine. SOC is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

SOURCE Security on Campus