![]() ![]() "My RA, I’ve exchanged probably five words with her. ![]() ![]() "I associate them with broken doors or something in the bathroom." "Honestly, my RA could be anyone and I probably wouldn't think of them to go to, they might probably be at the end of my list," said 19-year-old Marianne Lucas. Friends, upperclassmen, someone like that," said Gabrielle Chimney, a sophomore at Boston University. "I mean, my RA is really nice and everything, but I would go to someone I would feel more comfortable. They also said they wouldn't think to go to an RA to report sexual assault. Related: MIT Survey Revelas Serious Sexual Assault Problemīut across town at Boston University, where 80 percent of undergraduates live in on-campus housing, some students didn’t even know about the reporting requirement at their school. “What we have found is that it doesn’t inhibit students from continuing to disclose, because we believe they are telling the RA for a reason, and that is to seek support and assistance.” “Campus sexual violence is a very difficult issue, but our students are prepared to do that," O'Dair said. Katie O'Dair handles sexual assault at Boston College, where RAs are considered responsible employees and mandatory reporters. And most schools put RAs in that same category. There's no federal law saying RAs must report assaults, but there is one requiring responsible employees - professors and student deans - disclose what they know. "So if a crime does take place, I do have to report it," said Brown. She must tell the student early on in the conversation that she cannot keep the information confidential, and she must tell her supervisor. ![]() You have to respect it as tenderly as possible."Īlthough Brown hasn't had to put that training into action yet, she says she knows exactly what to do if someone comes to her to talk about a sexual assault. "You want to ask before you sit down, ask before you do each step because it's an extremely sensitive situation and you don't want to overstep any boundaries or make your resident feel unsafe. "You have to say certain things, and you don't want to touch them," Brown recalled from her training in August. #Katie o dair harvard how to#To prepare her, Tufts provided two weeks of mandatory training, including sessions on how to talk with someone who may have been sexually violated. But she's also expected to deal with more sensitive issues, like alcohol use, mental health and sexual assault. Most of her duties are pretty straightforward, from helping students get involved in extracurricular activities to dealing with roommate squabbles. "I knew some of them before I was their RA, so it's a little interesting dealing with that," said Brown. #Katie o dair harvard free#She receives free room and board and lives with and oversees 25 freshmen and sophomores. She's considered a school employee, though she stressed she's not speaking on behalf of the university. Sophomore Cayla Brown is four months into her first year as an RA at Tufts University. Many colleges put resident assistants, who live in dorms and mentor younger students, squarely in the middle of the issue. Many aspects of the reporting process, and what happens afterward, are now under review - including whose responsibility it is to report cases of sexual assault. Nearly 90 colleges and universities are now under formal investigation for allegedly mishandling sexual assault cases on campus. At most schools resident assistants, or RAs, undergo one or two week trainings before school starts. ![]()
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