Sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking are serious problems on college and university campuses.

Congress created the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program (hereinafter referred to as the Campus Program) in

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recognition of the unique issues and challenges that colleges and universities face in preventing and responding to these crimes.

The Campus Program was authorized under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 and reauthorized in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 and subsequent legislation.

The Campus Program encourages a comprehensive coordinated community approach that enhances victim safety, provides services for victims and supports efforts to hold offenders accountable.

The funding supports activities that develop and strengthen services for sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking victims.

Grant funds also support strategies to prevent, investigate, respond to and prosecute these crimes.

The development of campus-wide coordinated responses involving campus victim service providers, law enforcement officers, health providers, housing officials, administrators, student leaders, faith-based leaders, representatives from student organizations, and disciplinary board members is critical.

To be effective, campus responses must also link to local off-campus criminal justice agencies and service providers, including local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim advocacy and victim services organizations.

Campuses are encouraged to create or revitalize large-scale efforts that treat sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking as serious offenses by adopting policies and protocols, developing victim services and programs that prioritize victim safety, ensuring offender accountability, and implementing effective prevention approaches.

Colleges and universities should demonstrate to every student that sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in any form will not be tolerated and have serious consequences, and that holistic services are available for victims of these crimes.