While it can seem implausible that you can influence legislation — you can. What you ask of your senators and members of congress, and your state legislature, matters on both the federal and state level. There are many ways to reach your elected officials.
- Use this resource to see if your state has passed campus sexual assault legislative reform
- Find your state and federal representatives using this database.
- Email, call, tweet, and/or send a letter to your representative with your concerns.
If you are currently working on legislation and would like EROC’s input, you can contact us here.
State Legislation
Encourage your state legislator to support legislation establishing affirmative consent standards on college campuses.
Here are some talking points:
- A “no means no” approach places the burden on those that are expected to rebuff unwanted sexual advances.
- There are many instances in which a survivor is unable to say no or does not say no, this does not mean the interaction was consensual — only “yes” means yes.
- “Yes means yes” fosters a culture of consent and respect
- Affirmative consent legislation protects students who are incapacitated when assaulted
Encourage your legislator to support comprehensive healthy relationships and consent education at the primary and secondary level.
Here are some talking points:
- If students are learning about consent, healthy relationships, and dating violence at college orientation — it’s too late.
- Students in primary and secondary schools are learning to manage relationships and this is the best time to establish and reinforce a culture of consent.
- One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence. We have an obligation to address that in schools.
Local Legislation
Encourage your local legislators to ensure law-enforcement is trauma-informed
Here are some talking points:
- Investigations are more effective and survivors are better protected from unnecessary trauma when investigatory personnel receive 40-hour trauma-informed training.
- “The first interaction between a law enforcement officer and victim of sexual assault victim will make or break our opportunities for success and justice in these cases.” — Chief Tom Tremblay, Maryland
