Justice Department to Make More That 60 Grants to Address Sexual Assault on College Campuses

Vanita Gupta

The U.S. Justice Department has announced nearly $22 million in upcoming grant awards to address and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on college campuses. The grants will also fund services to youth victims and children exposed to such violence and engage men and boys as allies.

Specifically, the Office on Violence Against Women at the Justice Department will award $10,688,200 through 36 grants to address and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault on college campuses. Grantees will be required to adopt a multidisciplinary response program that involves student affairs, student health, athletics, residence life, law enforcement and victim service providers. They also provide incoming students with prevention and educational programs about sexual and domestic violence, training for campus police and security, and training for judicial and disciplinary board members.

In addition, the Consolidated Youth and Engaging Men Grant Program will award $11,031,653 through 25 grants to implement programming that encourages men and boys to be role models and change agents in their communities working toward the goal of eliminating sexual and domestic violence.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said that “we need to support college campuses with the resources to create a campus culture that is not tolerant of sexual assault or dating violence. These grants will help colleges and universities develop prevention policies, offer survivor-centered services, and train campus police to meet the needs of their students. These grants also provide critical intervention services to children and young adults, in addition to engaging them to be leaders in combatting violence.”

Associate Attorney General Gupta graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and received her law degree from New York University.