BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

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Joel
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BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

Post by Joel »

https://www.ksl.com/?nid=1016&sid=41991 ... se-victims" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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inho
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

Post by inho »

I was fearing that they would make only some cosmetic changes, but this is actually great.

Sunain
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

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That is definitely one thing that needed to be changed in the Honor-Code. Victims of sexual assault should not be spiritually or academically punished for something legitimately out of their control.

I do understand why BYU had it in though as they did need to determine if it was actually rape and not just under the guise as such to get around the honor code. Unfortunately, honesty among church members isn't to great these days.

braingrunt
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

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I could completely understand reviewing them. I would not be surprised if many of them had violations of their own which put them in the dangerous situation; in saying this, I am in no way implying that such actions excuse the abuse in any way. I'm simply saying that wanting to know if the victim obeyed the rules, is fine. If for no other reason than evaluating the effectiveness of the rules.

brianj
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

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I know a church member who, while attending BYU in the 1990/1991 academic year, was raped and impregnated. She claims that she was prevented from registering for classes the following semester after reporting the crime.

I have a very big problem with blaming victims, so I am a strong supporter of this very overdue change.

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Joel
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Reports of sexual assault increase at BYU in wake of changes at Title IX office

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Reports of sexual assault increase at BYU in wake of changes at Title IX office

PROVO, Utah -- BYU reports that sexual assault cases are on the rise, but not because the crime itself is increasing.

The Title IX office said Friday that more people are starting to step forward to report cases, thanks to a huge overhaul in how the school handles those reports.

"It's been a tough year for BYU," said Tiffany Turley, Coordinator for the Title IX office.

The fallout started after a case in which a sexual assault survivor said the school's Honor Code Office investigated her for violations when they got wind of the case that she reported to police. BYU, which is run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, requires students to abide by an honor code that prohibits things like drinking alcohol or having premarital sex.

BYU ended up in hot water across the nation, and last fall the school unveiled a new plan for how it would handle sexual assault cases.

An advisory board made 23 recommended changes.

"About probably a third of them have been completed, at least, and then the rest are in progress," Turley said.

She is an example of one of those changes. The school named her as the full-time coordinator for the Title IX office a few months ago. BYU also hired a new victim advocate, designated an individual to be a Title IX adviser, and the Title IX office was moved to a different space away from the Honor Code Office.

Turley said the Title IX office also stopped sharing victim or witness information with the Honor Code Office.

"We have been living by the principles of amnesty, and providing that to victims of sexual assault when it comes to our interactions with the Honor Code," Turley said.

Months later, the school is starting to see results.

"Our reports have gone up," Turley said, adding, "Which is a really good thing for us."

From January through March, she said initial numbers show their office took in more student reports of sexual assaults than they did during the same time last year.

Most occurred off campus, she said, and in cities like Provo, Orem and Springville.

She didn't have exact numbers, because she said they're still being tallied.

"I think it shows that people trust the Title IX office and the BYU process a little bit more," she explained.

Trust is something BYU student Margot Crandall didn't have when she said BYU found out about her rape case.

She was raped three years ago, and Crandall said the perpetrator was convicted a year and a half later. The case took place in the Salt Lake area, but Crandall said the school somehow found out about it, and gave her a call.

"It felt like they blamed me, it felt like they didn't support me," she said.

Crandall said the school didn't offer help until she provided documentation proving the suspect was convicted in court. She helped advocate for change at BYU last year.

"I'm grateful they listened to us, and saw that there were several errors," she said.

While Crandall is glad the school made changes, she said she hopes they're permanent.

She also said there's something she thinks is missing.

"I think they need to issue an official apology to the women that they have mistreated in the past," Crandall said.

At the very least, Crandall said she hopes survivors like her are getting the help she didn't get.

Turley said she's heard feedback from victims who say they feel safer coming in to report cases.

She said the goal is to continue to implement the 23 recommendations, and they hope to have most of them in place by this fall.

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inho
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

Post by inho »

Salt Lake Tribune won a Pulitzer Price for "a string of vivid reports revealing the perverse, punitive and cruel treatment given to sexual assault victims at Brigham Young University, one of Utah’s most powerful institutions".

This is discussed in viewtopic.php?f=20&t=45271&p=777317

braingrunt
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

Post by braingrunt »

I just hope this doesn't mean that people, women in particular, are going to be less careful and less concerned about proactive chastity.

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Joel
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Re: BYU Stops Honor-Code Reviews Of Sex Abuse Victims

Post by Joel »

Brigham Young University reporting rates increase 400%



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