When a Student Confides a Rape, Should a Professor Have to Report It?

[petronius]

53. That's largely how it is for us - the required report is not to police, but rather

to the Title IX officer (the Dean of Students, here). The Title IX officer is in turn required to (attempt to) meet with the victim. Beyond that, there is no mandate for law enforcement involvement, judicial affairs proceedings, or for the victim to accept the meeting with the Title IX officer.

I support the reporting requirement for two reasons: 1) it immediately puts the victim in contact with the most effective conduit to support resources that the school has available and the best source of information regarding the victim's rights and options, and 2) when the school becomes aware--even at the lowly level of an individual faculty/staff member--of dangers, crimes, hostile environments and so on there is a responsibility to explore ways of enhancing the safety of the community at large.

My main caveat would be that students should be aware of the mandatory reporting requirement and who it applies to, as well as those entities on/around campus to whom the requirement does not apply...