Roundtable: Student Victimization Disclosures: How to Keep Your Students and Yourself Safe

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

It goes without saying, when teaching criminal justice courses, and more commonly victimology courses, faculty will encounter students who either openly disclose victimization experiences in class, or do so privately. The increasing federal and state legislation regarding preventing sexual abuse on campuses now requires some of these disclosures to be reported. In response, some faculty are giving warnings in the first class, while others are posting signs on their doors. At this roundtable, we will discuss how to address such disclosures in the classroom, hallways, and our offices. Additionally, we will discuss potential vicarious trauma for faculty members, not just for student disclosures, but for some of the subject matter content. We will explore the limits of what faculty can offer their students, how we cannot control the report outcomes, and how to address potential health and mental health consequences for faculty members.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Chair

• Jeanna M. Mastrocinque, Rowan University

Discussants

• Catherine Cerulli, University of Rochester School of Medicine

• Shelly Clevenger, ISU

• Stanley B. Yeldell, Rowan University