EWU to update sexual assault response protocols in August

By Cannon Barnett, News Editor • May 1, 2024

Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of rape and sexual violence.

A new Department of Education ruling will allow colleges to offer more options for responding to reports of sexual assault, giving survivors more choice in how they receive justice.

One new process potentially debuting in August, which has experienced success in other universities, is called an “informal resolution.” This would allow individuals to communicate with their assailant via a university mediator without a formal investigation taking place. The goal is to help students feel more comfortable reporting if they have been assaulted.

In 2023, EWU received 124 Title IX reports, the highest number since reliable records began being kept in 2019. Though counterintuitive, EWU’s Title IX coordinator Annika Scharosch says that she sees the increase in reports as a positive thing.

“We see this [increase in reports] as more people are coming forward and telling us what’s happening and looking for the support that we can provide, not necessarily that more misconduct is happening,” Scharosch said.

Of those 124 reports however, only 9 individuals proceeded with filing a formal complaint. People may not report due to not wanting to get their assailant into trouble, or being deterred by the length of the investigative process, which typically can last over 100 days. Much more popular among survivors is the supportive services offered by the Title IX office.

“[Survivors] have a variety of reasons for not wanting to [file a complaint], but they really want to move their dorm room to a different location. And they really want to just step out of school for two weeks, but they don’t want to fail their class,” Scharosch said. “We always tell them, because your voice and power were taken away, we want to empower you to make the choice about what you want to have the university do. So how can we help you?”

New policy changes by the Department of Education will give the university more freedom to provide survivors with these sorts of tailored assistance. One process that EWU’s Title IX office is exploring is the aforementioned informal investigation, which would allow reports to be handled in possibly as quick as 20 days. Changes will go into effect Aug. 1 of this year.

“Sometimes we will talk to a victim, a survivor, and they just don’t want to get the other person in trouble. They just want them to know how much they’ve hurt them,” said Scharosch. “And so, informal resolution can offer up that kind of opportunity without going through the full investigation and hearing.”

Such an informal resolution would be voluntary, and both parties would have the opportunity to opt out and enter a more formal process at any time. Scharosch says that EWU will be hiring a new staff member to develop this kind of process more thoroughly and help make getting justice less traumatizing for the involved individuals.

“Sexual assault is one of the trickier traumas that people can go through because it’s so personal,” said Russell Kolts, clinical psychologist and longtime professor of psychology at EWU. “For most traumatic events, someone goes through them, and you know 15 – 30% of people will end up meeting criteria for PTSD at some point in their life. With rape, that jumps to 50%.”

Most sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knows and trusts, leading to feelings of betrayal according to Kolts. However, what makes the trauma even more complex is that oftentimes the victim feels that they were betrayed by their own body.

“We have these human bodies that evolve to do certain things and respond to certain stimulation, so quite commonly during a sexual assault the person may experience physical sensations of arousal or pleasure or responsiveness, sometimes even orgasm,” Kolts said. “And all the while the person is horrified, maybe, emotionally… The bodily sensations themselves can become trauma keys.”

Along with feeling betrayed by themselves, Kolts said that it is not uncommon for survivors to describe themselves as “disgusting” due to confusion over whether or not they did something to elicit being assaulted.

“It can change not only how they relate to other people or to their bodies, but their own sense of self identity. You know, ‘what kind of person am I?’, ‘what part did I play in [being assaulted]?’ when the truth of the matter is there’s one person to blame for the assault, and that is the person who perpetrated it,” Kolts said.

This April, EWU held various events such as workshops and T-shirt giveaways to help educate students on prevention for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Kolts talked about the importance of such events, especially for men, who make up the majority of the aggressors in reported sexual assault situations.

“I think the more we can talk about it and personalize it and raise awareness not just of, ‘this is a thing that happens,’ but that ‘this is a thing that alters people’s lives in really horrific ways’… [we can] hopefully inspire some people and most particularly some men to be invested in changing it right now.” Kolts said.

EWU staff and faculty are all mandated reporters of sexual assault, with the exception of the counselors in the Mental Health Counselling Center in Martin Hall 225. Counselors in the center offer consultations, personal counseling, crisis appointments, and walk in hours in the afternoons.

Because sexual assault involves a person having their control taken away, Kolts said that if a friend confides in you that they may have been assaulted, it’s important to provide them as much autonomy as possible, and not to force them to report what happened.

“Listen to them and believe them. That’s really the most important thing. Don’t give advice. Don’t ask them questions — particularly questions that imply that it was somehow their fault,” Kolts said. “Express concern and compassion. ‘I’m so sorry this happened to you,’ and then ask, ‘what can I do to help?’”

If you or someone you know has been or may have been sexually assaulted, the following resources are available.