Dive Brief:

• The White House on Monday stepped up the pressure on colleges and universities to get more aggressive with their sexual assault prevention and response efforts.
• Recommendations issued in a White House task force report include conducting anonymous surveys about sexual assault cases, adopting policies against sexual assault that have had success elsewhere, and ensuring that reports of assaults are confidential.
• According to the task force, one in five female college students has been assaulted, but only 12% of assaults are reported.

Dive Insight:

The New York Times reports that the Obama administration is expected to urge Congress to make it a legal requirement for colleges and universities to adopt the task force recommendations, and to create penalties for failing to adopt them. A website, NotAlone.gov, would track enforcement and provide information to sexual assault victims. Additionally, the adoption of assault prevention training programs like those at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Kentucky was suggested so bystanders can learn how to intervene.