Study Shows GWU Is Failing Sexual Assault Victims

Three years ago Shannon Lynberg started working with the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Younger Women's Task Force (YWTF) on the issue of sexual assault in the nation's capital. After finding out about an incident where a young woman was denied a rape kit by two university hospitals, the group researched federal legislation and learned about the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005, which went into effect in January 2009 and requires states to "ensure that victims have access to an exam free of charge or with full reimbursement, even if the victim chooses not to report the crime to the police or otherwise cooperate with the criminal justice system or law enforcement authorities." Outraged at the injustice, Lynberg helped create Stand Up For DC Women, a program of YWTF that educates the D.C. community about the legal rights of sexual assault survivors under this new forensic examination law.

At a Stand Up for DC Women fundraising event, Lynberg met Megan Evans, a medical student at George Washington University's School of Medicine and a member of the Sexual Violence Awareness Group. The two exchanged contact information after discussing the lack of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at GWU Hospital and the lack of adequate information provided to students about sexual assault resources on campus. Lynberg and Evans decided to administer a survey to uncover the extent of the problem and make recommendations for improvements to GWU and GWU Hospital administrators. They worked with GWU faculty, YWTF interns, and student leaders to develop and distribute the survey.

The results from the 5,097 surveys completed by graduate and undergraduate students found that 74% of them do not feel GWU adequately educates students about the resources available to victims of sexual assault and 61% believe sexual assault is a problem on GWU's campus. Additionally, 89% of respondents wrongly believe that Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners are available to perform rape kits at GWU Hospital and 62% think rape kits are available on GWU’s campus through Student Health Services. Neither is true.

"The most striking feature of this report is that most of those surveyed felt GWU had sufficient resources, but their perception of the resources GWU has available is inaccurate," says Evans.

Lynberg continues, "We know sexual assault is an endemic problem on campuses and many universities are doing a poor job of educating their students about sexual assault prevention or providing them with adequate resources if they are assaulted. Time and time again we hear horror stories about how sexual assault survivors are denied the level of care they need."

Lynberg and Evans have come up with two immediate actions GWU can take to make its campus safer and more accommodating of rape victims: 1) GWU can increase their efforts to ensure all students are aware of the resources available to them by taking steps to embed in the school's culture discussions of sexual violence, rape prevention workshops, and opportunities for students to get involved in increasing support services. 2) GWU's administrators can petition the Mayor's office to place Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at the GWU hospital.

"This is not a student issue, but a community issue," Lynberg explains. "Many community members use George Washington Hospital since it is in the heart of DC. We need a community movement to encourage the GWU to provide the resources sexual assault victims need."

Photo credit: aprilzosia