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Jeanne Clery Act: Disclosure of Campus Security Policy
In April, 1986, a promising young woman enrolled in a U.S. college – Jeanne Clery – brutally was sexually assaulted and then murdered in her dormitory room. It has often been said in the aftermath of Jeanne's tragic death that her life was cut short “because of what she didn't know.”
In this regard, Jeanne did not know a number of factors relating to campus crime. For example, she did not know how lax campus safety procedures actually were at here college. She did not know how prevalent campus crime was at the time she enrolled and was a student at her school. In other words, had Jeanne really had vital and crucial information (basic information at that) relating to campus safety and campus crime, she would have been in a far better position to take proactive steps to protect herself. Moreover, being properly informed, Jeanne could have made a decision as to whether or not she really wanted to be part of a particular college community.
Alas, what was learned in the aftermath of Jeanne's horrific death was that colleges and universities across the country were making conscious and concerted efforts literally to hide and obscure true facts about campus crime. College and university administrators actively took this course of action out of fear that if prospective students and their parents really understood the prevalence and severity of college crime and the existing problems with campus safety, the enrollment at their schools would decline – perhaps even drop quite dramatically.
After her murder, Jeanne's parents on their own initiative began to investigate matters pertaining to campus safety and college crime. What they discovered was startling. For example, they learned that only a meager four percent of all colleges and universities in the United States were reporting campus crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the agency that tracks crime statistics in the country. Four percent.
What Jeanne's parents were to learn (and what the rest of the country would also come to understand) was that campus crime was occurring at an alarming rate – including the most violent of crimes including rape and murder. Ultimately, Jeanne's parents galvanized support across the nation to bring an end to the policies of colleges and universities that resulted in hiding the truth about campus crime.
From these important efforts what is now known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act was enacted by the Congress of the United States and signed into law by the President.
The law requires all colleges and universities receiving federal funding (which is the vast majority of institutions of higher education) to appropriately report crime statistics. Moreover, these same colleges and universities are to make public their campus security policies to students, prospective students, parents and the public at large.
The legislation is based on the simple credo developed by Jeanne's brave parents: “Crime awareness can prevent crime victimization.”
Experts agree that the implementation of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act has been an extremely important and truly positive step in the battle against college crime in the 21st century.
In this regard, Jeanne did not know a number of factors relating to campus crime. For example, she did not know how lax campus safety procedures actually were at here college. She did not know how prevalent campus crime was at the time she enrolled and was a student at her school. In other words, had Jeanne really had vital and crucial information (basic information at that) relating to campus safety and campus crime, she would have been in a far better position to take proactive steps to protect herself. Moreover, being properly informed, Jeanne could have made a decision as to whether or not she really wanted to be part of a particular college community.
Alas, what was learned in the aftermath of Jeanne's horrific death was that colleges and universities across the country were making conscious and concerted efforts literally to hide and obscure true facts about campus crime. College and university administrators actively took this course of action out of fear that if prospective students and their parents really understood the prevalence and severity of college crime and the existing problems with campus safety, the enrollment at their schools would decline – perhaps even drop quite dramatically.
After her murder, Jeanne's parents on their own initiative began to investigate matters pertaining to campus safety and college crime. What they discovered was startling. For example, they learned that only a meager four percent of all colleges and universities in the United States were reporting campus crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the agency that tracks crime statistics in the country. Four percent.
What Jeanne's parents were to learn (and what the rest of the country would also come to understand) was that campus crime was occurring at an alarming rate – including the most violent of crimes including rape and murder. Ultimately, Jeanne's parents galvanized support across the nation to bring an end to the policies of colleges and universities that resulted in hiding the truth about campus crime.
From these important efforts what is now known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act was enacted by the Congress of the United States and signed into law by the President.
The law requires all colleges and universities receiving federal funding (which is the vast majority of institutions of higher education) to appropriately report crime statistics. Moreover, these same colleges and universities are to make public their campus security policies to students, prospective students, parents and the public at large.
The legislation is based on the simple credo developed by Jeanne's brave parents: “Crime awareness can prevent crime victimization.”
Experts agree that the implementation of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act has been an extremely important and truly positive step in the battle against college crime in the 21st century.
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