Penn's annual crime report has an increased focus on sexual violence

In line with changing legal standards, Penn’s 2014 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report has increased its emphasis on sexual violence compared to last year’s report.

The changes to the report, which the Division of Public Safety published online on Monday, follow last year’s passage of federal legislation — namely, the Violence Against Women Act and the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act — which aimed to increase transparency and accountability in the reporting of sexual violence crimes at colleges and universities in the U.S.

The purpose of the report, in part, is to inform the Penn community about crimes and fires on and around Penn’s properties during the previous calendar year, in this case 2013.

The number of liquor law offenses fell from 247 to 225, although the number of arrests in 2013 dramatically increased by nearly 1,400 percent, from two in 2012 to 29 the following year.

For the first time, the report also included statistics on reported offenses of domestic and dating violence, as well as stalking, in accordance with new federal laws. Seven reports of domestic violence and four reports of dating violence were made in 2013. No reports for stalking were filed last year.

The “Rape and Sexual Violence, Relationship Violence and Stalking” section in this year’s report — two pages longer than last year’s “Rape and Sexual Violence” section — elaborated on support services and reporting procedures for victims of sexual violence.

In an added education section this year, the report highlighted Penn services, including DPS’s Special Services Department and the Penn Women’s Center, which can provide assistance to victims of sexual violence. It also noted that freshmen must partticipate in the Penn Alcohol Module and a mandatory session during New Student Orientation on consent, boundaries and healthy relationships.

The report also mentioned, as it did in previous years, that the Special Services Department will also assist victims of sexual violence through verbal and written counseling, and will help victims access health, legal and other services on- and off-campus. Students can also seek help from Counseling and Psychological Services, the Penn Women’s Center and the Office of Student Conduct, the report explained.

The report also discussed reporting procedures for sexual violence. It acknowledges the sensitive nature of disclosing incidents of rape and sexual assault, but nevertheless encourages victims to contact the Special Services Department to report and seek assistance. Victims have the option to choose whether to report the incident fully and completely or file no report. If the victim chooses to pursue criminal options, the report points out, it is very important to preserve evidence.

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