Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) 2013
Passed into law in 1994, this act was updated with new Department of Education regulations on October 20, 2014, which took effect on July 1, 2015. Six important highlights from the regulations are listed in abbreviated format:
- Describe and develop programs which will help eliminate violence related to dating, domestic issues, stalking and sexual assaults. Employees and students must take part in these programs organized by the college and are to be described in the ASR.
- Accusers and victims both may have the choice to be accompanied by an advisor (friend, family, advocate, attorney member) in regulatory meetings and hearings.
- Stalking incidents have to be reported by the college in the AST. Stalking is defined in the regulations as '2 or more incidents' that involves the stalker 'following, observing, surveying, monitoring, threatening or communication about/to a person' which would make a 'reasonable person' emotionally distressed or fear their safety.
- If the reports of sexual assault and violence qualify as dating/domestic violence, they must be further broken down in the ASR.
- The list of categories on which a hate crime is based now includes several actual or perceived national origins, or gender identity categories such as gender, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and national origin.
- Unfounded Reports- crime statistics may be withheld or later removed if a sworn or commissioned law enforcement officer determines the crime to be baseless or false.