Kenyon is committed to fostering a climate free from sexual and gender-based discrimination, harassment and violence, intimate partner violence and stalking through clear and effective policies, a coordinated education and prevention program, and prompt and equitable procedures for resolution of reports of conduct prohibited under this policy. The College encourages all members of its community to participate in the process of creating a safe, welcoming and respectful environment. Kenyon’s Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy: Title IX, VAWA, Title VII applies to all forms of Prohibited Conduct that occur in the context of any Kenyon College education or employment activities and programs. Students on externally sponsored programs may also be covered by another institution’s policies, and outside of the U.S. will also be governed by the local policies and laws wherever an incident occurs.
The college is concerned about the safety and well-being of its students and about incidents of sexual misconduct whether on- or off-campus. If you experience any type of sexual misconduct, please know that you have options, you have rights, and support is available to you. We want you to know that you have options regarding how to respond as well as how to begin the healing process.
If you are a survivor of sexual misconduct that occurred abroad, what happened to you was not your fault.
Experiencing as well as processing sexual misconduct is difficult. It can be even more confusing and complicated if it occurs in another country or culture. Survivors often experience a range of emotions including fear, anxiety and confusion. There is no one way to respond. Whatever feels like the right response to you is normal. Determining what steps to take after a traumatic experience can be difficult, especially when you are far from home. The options listed below are just that, options.
And remember, you/the survivor should be in charge of your own healing process. It should be your/the survivor’s choice whether to seek help or tell others about the experience (please see below on disclosing vs. reporting). Please read each item carefully and consider reaching out to the Title IX Coordinator or Kenyon’s Center for Global Engagement with questions.
The resources below are listed for survivors who wish to learn about or utilize them – however, not all survivors of sexual misconduct need or seek immediate medical attention, or are interested in reporting. Some survivors choose to finish their overseas experience while others feel their recovery will be hastened by returning home. The information and resources listed on this page are here to help you learn about all your options and if you have questions, consider reaching out to talk about them further.
If your immediate safety is being threatened, please consider calling your designated, local emergency contact first. You may also call a 24/7 Campus Safety officer at 740-427-5000. They, in turn, will contact Kenyon’s Center for Global Engagement.
A safety plan, particularly in cases of relationship violence and stalking, can also be an important step towards safety. A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. More information is available from National Domestic Violence Hotline and staff there are available to talk and help develop a plan with you.
Medical attention can be made available for survivors of sexual and relationship violence. This attention can be for physical, emotional, and sexual health needs, as well as to complete a forensic exam. Access to a forensic exam will vary depending on local resources.
Most programs have a trusted individual on site, such as a resident/faculty director or a Student Affairs staff member, who will often have received training on responding to a disclosure of sexual misconduct. These individuals are in the best position to provide immediate assistance, such as identifying and helping to secure access to appropriate, quality medical care. Medical services vary from country to country, and if necessary services are not available, your health insurance company may be able to recommend alternatives in other locations. If language barriers exist, your trusted individual on site can usually assist with translation.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident of sexual misconduct or the individuals involved, Kenyon has counselors to help you in the healing process. Support can be provided in a variety of ways, including connecting you to local resources abroad or campus-based resources. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual misconduct, you may contact a College counselor by calling Campus Safety at 740-427-5000 and requesting to be connected to the counselor on call. To enable the College to respond to all reports in a prompt and equitable manner, the College encourages all individuals to report any incident directly to the Title IX Coordinator.
If the person accused (respondent)of sexual misconduct is a member of the Kenyon community, then Kenyon has the ability to investigate and impose sanctions for any violations of our Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy: Title IX, VAWA, Title VII. Regardless of the identity of the respondent, a reporting party has access to the support of Kenyon. However, Kenyon’s ability to investigate or adjudicate a complaint may be limited by the level of control it has over the learning environment and the respondent. For example, if the named respondent is a member of the host university’s student body, enrolled in another school’s study abroad program or a third-party provider, Kenyon’s ability to investigate a situation or sanction an individual is limited, although we will work with the program, provider or the host university to take action to the greatest extent possible. Furthermore, local laws and/or the policies of a host organization may further govern your legal options.
Kenyon College encourages individuals to report incidents of sexual misconduct to the Title IX coordinator and/or local law enforcement officials. Timely reporting to the police is an important factor in successful investigation and prosecution of crimes, including sexual violence crimes, and may lead to the arrest of an offender or aid in the investigation of other incidents. Kenyon can assist students in reporting sexual misconduct to the Title IX coordinator, local law enforcement or the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. We also encourage you to report the incident to a trusted individual working with your off-campus study program. These individuals are typically experts in the local community and can help to determine appropriate resources and responses. If you feel your program is not adequately supporting you, the Center for Global Engagement would like to know in order to assist you, and to ensure our partners are equally committed to ensuring your continuing success.
A disclosure of sexual violence means that the reporting party is able to talk to a confidential resource about the incident, receive support and discuss options without that individual ever telling anyone else. Confidential resources will not disclose information about incidents of sexual misconduct to anyone, including law enforcement or the College, except in very limited situations, such as when failure to disclose the information would result in imminent danger to the individual or to others or where state or local law requires a report be made..
A report of sexual misconduct is when the survivor discusses details of the incident with a member of the Kenyon community who is obligated to report the incident to the Title IX coordinator. Under the Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy: Title IX, VAWA, Title VII, this includes all Kenyon employees (unless they are designated as confidential resources), as well as student employees/volunteers who have responsibility for the welfare of other students, including Community Advisors, Diversity Advisors, Peer Counselors. The survivor may make the report for similar reasons as with a confidential source, to receive support and help determine possible options. In addition, reporting what happened allows for an official report to be made so that action can be taken to investigate, hold an alleged perpetrator responsible, and take any other actions necessary to help remedy the situation for the survivor as well as to help prevent any future sexual misconduct. While confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, your privacy is our priority. Kenyon faculty may not have the expertise to assist a survivor in next steps, so they are required to reach out to the Center for Global Engagement or the Title IX Coordinator. We also request that our overseas program providers reach out to the Center for Global Engagement or the Title IX Coordinator so that we can offer you Kenyon-specific assistance and help when you return to campus.
The mission of the CGE is to support Kenyon students studying off campus. They can be reached on campus during regular business hours or through Campus Safety after hours and on weekends.
Line is open 24/7. The duty officer will locate the director (or the back-up) to follow-up.
Kenyon will not contact a student’s listed emergency contact (obtained in the study abroad application) without the student’s express permission unless the circumstances fall under one of these exceptions. The student:
is unable to communicate (and medical decisions need to be made on student's behalf);
has been missing for more than 24 hours (and there is some indication of nefarious activity);
is perceived to be a danger self or others; or
when a significant health, safety, or security incident affecting the entire program has occurred abroad, such as natural disaster or a terrorist attack in the vicinity of the program. No personally identifiable information is reported.
Such circumstances rarely apply to a report of sexual misconduct.
The resources outlined below are not an exhaustive list of agencies and services in each country. Additional resources can be found through your insurance provider or the closest U.S. Embassy and Consulates.
A list of resources and explanation of services from the U.S. Department of State for U.S. citizen victims of crime abroad.
International Directory of Domestic Violence Agencies: Global list of abuse hotlines, shelters, refuges, crisis centers and women's organizations, plus domestic violence information in over 90 languages.
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): Toll-free 24/7 hotline for sexual assault counseling and referrals: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also offers a hotline that provides live, secure, anonymous crisis support for victims of sexual violence, their friends and families over RAINN's website. The online hotline is free of charge and available 24/7.
Sexual Assault Help and Support for Americans Abroad (SASHAA): Phone, email or live chat with staff in the Crisis Center: SASHAA Provides sexual assault prevention and response regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation or location worldwide.
It Happened To Alexis: Established in 2003, the Alexa Foundation helps support rape survivors through the trauma of the criminal trial, in the hopes that more survivors will go through with the prosecution in order to put these perpetrators behind bars. The foundation also assists rape victims’ families with travel expenses during the litigation process.
Sometimes, students don’t want to talk about a sexual assault abroad until they return to campus. In this case, know that there are many on-campus resources and support systems and off-campus resources and support systems available to you.