Student Organization & Sexual Misconduct

Defining Sexual Misconduct 

Sexual Misconduct, as defined by the Office of Institutional Equity, is “sexual or gender-based harassment, sexual or gender violence, sexual exploitation, relationship violence (domestic violence and dating violence), and sex or gender based stalking.” The University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct (PPDHRM) addresses sexual misconduct by students, faculty, staff, and visitors. In addition to Title IX and other forms of sexual misconduct, the PPDHRM addresses discrimination and harassment based on other protected characteristics including sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, and gender identity, and retaliation.

Building Safer Communities 

There are three necessary components of a healthy, successful, and equitable community:

• Commitment to community: members must see and feel that membership in their organization is significant in their lives 
• Sense of empowerment: members share ownership and engagement in the organization 
• Sense that one matters to others: members feel others depend on them and are interested in their success

Student organizations play an important role in building and maintaining a safer community at Duke, through these three components. With that in mind, here are some things organizations can do to build and sustain a community that is committed to ending sexual misconduct.

Know Where Your Organization Stands 

What does your organization stand for and value? Consider what those values look like in action and how to ensure your organization actions align with your values. Center those values in all parts of your organization: leadership team, recruiting, events, communications, meetings, and all interactions. If your group is unsure of those values and/or how to actualize them, check out the resources here and reach out to the Student Involvement and Leadership team for support shaping those conversations.  

Examples of how your group could do this:  

• Amend your organization constitution to include those values 

• Include the values on the top of every meeting agenda 
• Each semester, reflect on organization events to evaluate if they aligned with values  

Consider Community Identities 

Every community is diverse and it’s important to remember that individual members have unique experiences. Remember that identities are not a monolith and identity is also complex. People have many different identities that intersect to inform how we experience the world. With this in mind, avoid generalizations about a community -- whether yours or another -- and create an environment to acknowledge diverse experiences of your members (see resources below). This acknowledgement is one of the many ways to build belonging by empowering members to learn and grow in this knowledge.

• https://students.duke.edu/belonging/icr/
• https://students.duke.edu/belonging/get-involved/resources-faqs/belongatduke/

Set Membership Expectations 

It’s important to clarify what your organization expects from both its members and guests at the beginning of every year or semester. Set clear expectations of behavior and how members will participate in the community. These expectations contribute to creating a sense that one matters to others: how a member behaves matters to the organization. Emphasize practicing consent and respect for individuals’ boundaries. Make sure your expectations are congruent with the values and mission of your organization and communicated clearly to your members. Thoughtfully question any discussion or jokes that contain racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, or transphobic language or language that denigrates an individual’s race, ethnicity, sex or sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, national origin, disability, religion, age, or military status. Remove shame or judgement from any conversations relating to abstaining from or engaging in substance use or sexual activity. Use language and practices that respect others’ choices.

Examples of membership expectations could include:

• Be respectful of others’ boundaries and communicate your own boundaries
• Don’t touch others without their consent
• If someone says they aren’t drinking tonight, don’t ask why or push them to drink
• Work with Center for Multicultural Affairs to create a Community Agreement

Lead By Example 

Make sure that your organization leaders’ actions align with the values and expectations you outlined. Leaders in the organization should practice and model consent through daily actions and interactions with others. Make sure to respect the boundaries of all members, and consider the position power inherent in some titles. Model speaking up and intervening when others act out of line with the stated values. And be sure to respect your own boundaries and seek support when needed.

Get Educated 

To build a strong culture of prevention and safety, create and maintain an informed community that understands and respects consent. Ensure leaders and members know the values and expectations of the organization. Regularly encourage group members to participate in Duke-offered trainings and workshops to develop bystander intervention and support skills.

Community Accountability 

Navigating the topic of sexual misconduct is difficult and complex, especially in a social setting such as a student organization. If you have been made aware of a possible occurrence of sexual misconduct, avoid spreading rumors or sharing personal information about any involved members. As a student organization, you can play an important role in providing resources and support for groups or individuals to prevent further harm instead of engaging in or fueling further harm. See the list below for ways to support survivors in your organization and work with members accused of sexual misconduct.

Support Survivors 

It is important to note that each survivor has unique needs and desires around safety and support. Ask them how your organization can support them.

Here are some ways to support someone who shares an experience of sexual misconduct  with you:

• Validate their experience as they share it
• Check in around feelings of safety and comfort
• Offer to connect them with resources (Gender Violence Intervention Coordinator, CAPS, BlueDevils Care, OIE, DukeReach)
• Respect their decisions
• Maintain privacy

Remember: It is not the role of the organization to investigate the claims of the survivor or ask for more detail than what the survivor is willing to share.

Understand Title IX 

It can be difficult for organizations to work with members accused of sexual misconduct. However, accused members are entitled to due process. This means student organizations are limited in what formal actions they can take. [Please refer to the Understanding Title IX section for more information on responding to allegations of misconduct against a member.]

Utilize University Resources 

Creating a preventative space and working with survivors and accused members is difficult; Duke has many resources to help you navigate through these issues. Please visit https://students.duke.edu/wellness/gender-violence-education-and-outreach/get-support  for more information on support services, campus resources, and educational opportunities.

To submit a report to the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), contact Adrienne Allison, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students at adrienne.allison@duke.edu or 919-684-8222 

This has been adapted from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Student Organizations and Sexual Misconduct: A Guide