The silent campus crime.

• Author: Hultin, Suzanne
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS - Sexual assault in higher education - Brief article

In April, the U.S. Department of Education released a list of 55 colleges under federal investigation for their handling of sexual assault claims. The investigation exposed a disturbing number of assaults at state universities, elite Ivy League schools and two-year community colleges.

Although Congress has introduced a handful of bills and the White House launched an "It's On Us" initiative to raise awareness, some states already have taken action. In May, Connecticut became the first to pass comprehensive legislation that requires private and public institutions to:

* Work with a community-based organization to create a sexual assault response team to provide confidential counseling or services,

* Provide students with sexual assault prevention information,

* Report annually to the legislature the number of sexual assaults on campus, and

* Allow victims to report incidents anonymously.

California's governor recently signed legislation requiring colleges to adopt a policy of "affirmative consent" by students before they engage...