The College Fix

Here’s something you don’t see often: a public feud between dueling groups of sexual-assault prevention activists.

The Daily Californian reports that University of California-Berkeley activists are trashing a statewide group that represents rape crisis centers.

The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, among others, is backing a state senate bill – which has now been “postponed indefinitely” – that would define a “sexual assault counselor” as someone “employed by” a rape crisis center.

The current definition in state law says such a person can be “engaged in any office, hospital, institution, or center commonly known as a rape crisis center.”

While the coalition says the change is meant to clarify qualification requirements for counseling, UC-Berkeley activists say that’s an attack on rape victims:

Student Advocate Rishi Ahuja said that the coalition stands to gain financially from the passage of this bill and that its promotion of the bill takes away from the choices of sexual assault survivors.

“The goal of confidential and privileged advocates is for survivors to choose the least traumatic way for them to report,” Ahuja said. “What if survivors don’t feel comfortable about reporting to (rape crisis centers)?” …

ASUC Senator Haley Broder said she is concerned that the bill could compromise advocates’ confidentiality and privilege, “which would be incredibly detrimental to student survivors.”

Read the story.

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