Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence

On March 7, 2013, President Obama signed a bill that reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Strengthening Clery as part of the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, or Campus SaVE Act (SaVE) VAWA addendum, the bill included amendments that afforded additional rights to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on university/college campuses.

Every post-secondary institution participating in Title IV financial aid are required to compile statistics of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking that and are reported to Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) and local law enforcement that occurred within VSU's Clery geography . Additionally, those same institutions are required to include a statement of policy regarding prevention programs, educational/awareness programs , investigation procedures, administrative disciplinary action and appeal procedures, possible sanctions, victim/survivor procedures, and procedures for notification.

Types of Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women

Sexual Assault

• Rape- Rape Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim, including situations where drugs and/or alcohol impair the person’s ability to give full and free consent.
• Forcible Sodomy-  Oral or anal sexual intercourse with another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.
• Sexual Assault With An Object- The use of an object or instrument to unlawfully penetrate, however slightly, the genital or anal opening of the body of another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.
• Forcible Fondling -The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or, not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.
• Incest- Nonforcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
• Statutory- Nonforcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Violence Against Women

• Domestic violence- includes asserted violent misdemeanor and felony offenses committed by the victim's current or former spouse, current or former cohabitant, person similarly situated under domestic or family violence law, or anyone else protected under domestic or family violence law.
• Dating violence- means violence by a person who has been in a romantic or intimate relationship with the victim. Whether there was such relationship will be gauged by its length, type, and frequency of interaction.
• Stalking- means a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for her, his, or others' safety, or to suffer substantial emotional distress.

Educational programming consists of primary prevention and awareness programs for all incoming students and new employees and ongoing awareness and prevention campaigns for students and employees that identify domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking as prohibited conduct and defines categorizing behavior; defines sexual misconduct, coercion, and consent while incorporating the definition of consent as defined by both the State of Virginia and the VSU Student Code of Conduct; discusses the role of alcohol and drugs in sexual assault; informs the campus community of the rights of the victim and the accused; and educates in bystander intervention and risk reduction.