WASHINGTON — Following is a statement from Jessica Henderson Daniel, PhD, president of the American Psychological Association, on proposed changes by the U.S. Department of Education to Title IX that would affect how sexual assault allegations are handled on college campuses:
“APA is concerned about the potential negative impact of the proposed Title IX regulation on victims of campus sexual assault and overall campus climate.
“The proposed rule would make changes to reporting sexual assault on campuses that would diminish current protections, potentially silencing victims and making them vulnerable to re-abuse. Sexual assault on campus creates a hostile environment and poses significant barriers to academic opportunity and achievement.
“These changes could have a chilling effect on individuals who would otherwise come forward and who may be in need of urgent physical and mental health care. Psychological research links sexual assault to a range of negative psychological outcomes for the victim, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychologists are concerned about the potential harm this rule would pose to victims of assault.
“APA supports efforts to protect potential victims of sexual assault in a number of ways, including through our advocacy for increased funding for prevention programs and better data collection on campus climate, and to care for the mental health of those who have been victimized, particularly the understudied and underserved.”
The organization plans to submit formal comments on the proposed rule by the deadline of Jan. 14, 2019.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.