- Rape - The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim. (Note: The Rape definition also includes crimes of sodomy and sexual assaults with an object)
- Fondling - The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her age or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.
- Incest - Non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
- Statutory Rape - Non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the age of consent.
A criminal offense committed against a person or property which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias. Bias is a preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, national origin or gender identity. The perception of the offender determines if a hate crime is classified. There must be evidence that shows the offender was motivated by a bias to commit the crime. The following are examples from The Handbook on Campus Safety and Security Authority: “A white student causes a disturbance in an on-campus classroom during a discussion on race relations. The student begins shouting racial epithets while pointing at black class members. The instructor calls campus security for assistance. A white security officer and a black security officer arrive. When the black officer tries to subdue the student, the student starts shoving the officer and shouting racial epithets at him.” This incident would be classified as one on-campus Simple Assault characterized by racial bias. “A campus police officer overhears a white student and a black student arguing over a parking space on campus. They are shouting obscenities at one another and the white student shoves the black student who scrapes his hand on the asphalt when he falls. The officer approaches the students and asks for an explanation for the argument. The students tell him that one of them was driving toward the parking space first but didn’t use his turn signal to indicate he wanted to park there. The other student drove into the space not knowing that the first student had intended to park there. The officer did not find any evidence that the Simple Assault was motivated by bias.” The incident will not be classified as a hate crime. Categories of hate crime offenses include all Primary Clery crimes, as well as, Larceny-theft, Simple Assault, Intimidation, and Destruction/damage/vandalism of property.
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act amended the Clery Act by requiring institutions of higher education to compile statistics for incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking and to include policies, procedures and programs regarding these incidents in the institution’s annual security report.
- Sex Offenses
- Domestic Violence - A felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed: By a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim; By a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; By a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner; By a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred, or; By any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred.
- Dating Violence - Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. For the purpose of this definition, dating violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence.
- Stalking - Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to: Fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or Suffer substantial emotional distress.
- Course of Conduct -Two or more acts, including but not limited to, acts in which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveys, threatens, or communicates to or about a person or interferes with a person’s property.
- Substantial Emotional Distress - Significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.
The Clery Act requires that schools provide statistics for the following categories of arrests or, if an arrest was not made, referrals for campus disciplinary action:
- Liquor Law Violations
- Drug Law Violations
- Illegal Weapons Possession
The Clery Act follows a hierarchy rule where only the most serious offense is reported in the annual Clery statistics. The hierarchy rule does not apply to the crime log, so all offenses related to the incident would be recorded in the crime log. For example: An incident that includes an aggravated assault and a burglary, would only be reported as an aggravated assault in the annual crime statistics; but both the aggravated assault and burglary would be recorded on the crime log.
Yes. Arson is always reported. But, when multiple offenses occur during an Arson offense, the most serious offense is reported along with the Arson. The new VAWA regulations removes the hierarchy rule in crimes that include a homicide with a sexual assault.
The AlertVU is an immediate notification system utilized when there is a confirmed immediate threat or danger to the Vanderbilt community. Some examples where an AlertVU could be used include: a tornado approaching Vanderbilt, a gas leak, an active shooter on campus, or a bomb threat. All Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in the AlertVU system through their Vanderbilt email address. Notification through the AlertVU is also available for phone and text alerts. For more information on the AlertVU system or to update your contact information, please follow this link to the Vanderbilt University Emergency Preparedness website. A Security Notice is a timely warning that is used to notify the Vanderbilt community of serious or on-going threats as soon as pertinent information is available. The Security Notice is distributed community-wide so individuals can make informed decisions about their own safety. The Security Notice is also distributed to aid in the prevention of similar crimes if a pattern is determined.
The United States Department of Education is charged with enforcing the Jeanne Clery Act and may level civil penalties against institutions of higher education up to $35,000 per violation or may suspend them from participating in federal student financial aid programs.
The United States Department of Education website has various resources to assist institutions in maintaining full compliance with the Clery Act. The Handbook on Campus Safety and Security Authority includes guidelines on how institutions must report and manage Clery compliance issues.
EMERGENCY — Call 911
or (615) 421-1911 off campus
Non-Emergency —
Call (615) 322-2745
or 2-2745 on campus
