By Shaquille Blackstock, Staff Writer

Published in print Apr. 22, 2015

April is Sexual Harassment Awareness month, dedicated to a widespread issue that affects college students at a disproportionate rate.

The history of this month runs back to at least the late 1980’s, when activists called for a week in April to be recognized as Sexual Harassment Awareness week. It expanded in the 1990’s into a national month of awareness.

According to the Center for Disease Control, one in five women and one in 59 men have been raped in the United States. Approximately one in 15 men have been made to penetrate a perpetrator, and most victims experience sexual violence before the age of 25.

The CDC defines sexual violence as “any unwanted sexual contact, any sexual activity where consent is not given, and non-contacted unwanted sexual experiences (like verbal sexual harassment).”

Knowing statistics like these, UNCG has implemented several measures—such as rape alert emails disseminated to all students on campus, as well as updated policies to better define and address the threat that sexual violence poses to civility and order on campus.

UNCG’s Sexual Harassment Policy states: “This policy applies to all applicants for employment and admission to University programs, officers and employees of the University, students, and persons who serve the University as its agents and are under the control of the University.”

The policy also highlights the two most prevalent types of sexual harassment: Quid Pro and Environmental sexual harassment.

Quid pro quo is defined as “sexual harassment presented as a ‘bargain’ (quid pro quo). Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature by one in a superior position constitutes ‘bargained-for sexual harassment’ when submission by another is made either an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment or of academic standing.”

The other type is environmental, which is less specific than quid pro quo.

It is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute ‘environmental sexual harassment’ when such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment which unreasonably interferes with another’s work, academic performances, or privacy.”

UNCG also releases emails about sexual harassment, such as forcible fondling, to the community at large.

The stated purpose of the emails is transparency, and to alert the entire school community about incidents for the greater safety of those who could also be at risk for harassment.

The Campus Police oversee the emails, which include a brief synopsis of the course of events, never names those involved, and tells whether or not the victim is pursuing charges or not.

This change in protocol is very stark in contrast to 2012, when the campus reported zero incidents of sexual assault.

The Carolinian interviewed a woman then, in a story called “Real Talk: Sexual Misconduct and UNCG” named Carla Guzman, a student who faced her own issues with the inappropriate behavior that the university deems a “threat to basic human dignity.”

Guzman detailed the fact that the university’s policy had not been updated since 1995.

The school now goes to great lengths to avoid presenting any cases of sexual misconduct in such a way that would hint at “victim-shaming”. With the advent of new technology, laws are constantly changing.

UNCG has reformed its presentation to the public of sexual harassment greatly since then, but many argue that it still has a long way to go.