McCaskill challenges MU students to speak up about sexual assault

Sen. Claire McCaskill returned to the University of Missouri campus on Saturday to discuss the topic of sexual assault. McCaskill spoke on campus last fall about the same issue during her campus listening tour.

During Saturday’s event, McCaskill gave the keynote address at the MU “I t’s On Us” summit, an event aimed at changing the way campuses discuss and deal with sexual assaults. She spoke candidly about sexual assault on campuses and highlighted her recent legislation designed to combat sexual violence on college campuses.

“People are beginning to understand that this has been a dirty little secret in higher education for a long, long time,” McCaskill said.

McCaskill is working on a bill that would streamline the reporting of sexual assault on college campuses. The bill would require colleges and universities to appoint confidential advisers who would help victims navigate through the information and options available to them.

“If victims have that kind of information and support and good information at the very beginning, then they will be empowered and confident to realize fully what their options are,” McCaskill said.

The bill would also implement an annual and anonymous survey of campuses about students experiences with sexual violence, among other provisions. If the schools don’t follow the requirements in the bill, they would be penalized up to a 1 percent fine of their operating budget.

McCaskill said she hopes student get engaged and make the issue of sexual violence a priority.

“When you are in a place that you can make a difference, do it! And you’ll feel good about it the rest of your life,” she said.