Every college student has been warned of the dangers of sexual predators. Recently, colleges have tried to lessen those dangers by curbing the massive amounts of sexual assault cases seen each year. Many schools have required classes, online courses and presentations to raise awareness and prevent sexual assault. However, California has proposed a new bill that will help with this issue.
The Safe Transfer Act will hold students accountable for their actions by noting on transcripts that the student has been found guilty of sexual assault. Universities and colleges have found that many students found guilty of sexual assault try to transfer to different schools to escape the consequences of their actions. When a student transfers to a different university or college, the new school will be notified of any sexual assault charges the student was found guilty of.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), sexual assault is one of the highest committed crimes on college campuses; RAINN states that 23.1 percent of female undergraduate students experience some sort of sexual assault while in college. Sexual predators are at every college campus across the nation and should be held accountable for their crimes.
California Representative, Jackie Speier said, “Universities and colleges are perfectly willing to include academic infractions like plagiarism on students’ records, yet students who have committed sexual assault can walk away from campus with a clean academic bill of health.”
Sexual assault has become an epidemic for colleges and universities, and this bill will help reduce the amount of sexual assault cases.
This bill has received considerable support from various organizations such as End Rape on Campus, the National Organization of Women and the Association of the Title IX Administrators. Virginia and New York already require a student’s transcript to be marked if they have been found guilty of a sexual offense. Representatives of these organizations hope that this bill will stop students from running away from punishments only to commit the same crimes at different campuses.
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers recently stated they support the bill, despite never supporting the idea that disciplinary actions should be posted on students’ transcripts. A spokesman for the group said it should be optional whether colleges and universities decide to note sexual assault.
Sexual assault is a major issue in every state. The Florida Council Against Sexual Violence states that over 1.2 million women in Florida have been raped during their lifetime and 79.6 percent of these victims were raped before the age of 25.
At Florida Gulf Coast University, there is a relatively low rate for sexual assault. However, records for Florida show sexual assault is a major issue. If Florida adopts this bill, it will protect us as the student body. FGCU will know before accepting transfer students if they have a history of sexual assault.
Sexual assault is a growing issue that needs to be addressed. This bill assures that punishments are given to those who deserve it. This bill will only mark on a student’s transcripts if they are found guilty, protecting those who are found innocent.
Rep. Speier states, “My bill will ensure that students who try to transfer schools to avoid the consequences of their violent acts will, at a minimum, face the same consequences as students who transfer because they’ve cheated on an exam.”
The Safe Transfer Bill is a necessity for the nation. Sexual predators are getting away without punishment by transferring schools. This bill will help bring justice to those who have been sexually assaulted and will create a safer community on campuses.