SHAHEEN: UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IS LEADING THE WAY IN EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is welcoming the announcement of new national guidelines to combat sexual assault on college campuses that recognize the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as a national leader in the effort.  The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault’s guidelines released Tuesday aim to more aggressively combat sexual assaults on college and university campuses and specifically highlight UNH’s Prevention Innovations program that develops, implements and evaluates programs, policies and practices to end violence against women.

“The University of New Hampshire has been leading by example for the past two decades in the fight against sexual assault and everyone involved in their effort should be honored by this national recognition,” Shaheen said.

The Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault aims to provide resources for survivors and work with schools to protect students from sexual violence on campus, enlisting three universities, including UNH, to contribute to the national body of work on campus sexual assault.

“Whether it’s on college campuses or in our military, sexual assault cannot be tolerated,” Shaheen continued. “Too many women are sexually assaulted over the course of their college careers, and we need to teach our students that sexual assault is simply unacceptable. We must do everything we can to make our campuses safe.”

Research shows that nearly one in five women is sexually assaulted while in college, and prevention and education programs vary widely across campuses. Shaheen recently urged Senate Appropriators to dedicate additional resources to address sexual assault on college campuses and employ sufficient, trained staff to enforce federal regulations regarding sexual violence on campuses.

“The programs that have come out of Prevention Innovations have been proven to make a difference," said Sharyn Potter and Jane Stapleton, co-directors of UNH’s Prevention Innovations. “It is a great honor to be recognized as leaders in the effort to end violence against women and we're very pleased the university will have the opportunity to conduct research that will improve education at universities across the United States.”

Under the Task Force Guidelines, the UNH Prevention Innovations Center will design and evaluate a training program for incoming students on sexual assault policies and expectations for student conduct.