California’s First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, released a sweeping report Tuesday to improve the state’s response to sexual assault and violence. The Working Group on Support for Survivors of Sexual Assault, a task force led by Siebel Newsom established in 2023, seeks to improve access to survivor care and trauma-informed practices throughout various California industry systems.
With the task force, Siebel Newsom has brought together survivors of sexual harassment, the judicial system, law enforcement, public health officials and policymakers to ensure that those affected by sexual violence are met with justice.
“This report is more than a summary of where we are,” Siebel Newsom said at the press conference.”It is a roadmap of where we must go.” Siebel Newsom has spoken out previously about her experience as a sexual assault survivor, supporting a deeply personal and passionate push for an improved system.
The report made several recommendations on how to educate citizens about sexual violence, including teaching schools how to identify signs of violence and training attorneys and juries on the effects of trauma.
The working group seeks to implement policy changes based on survivor feedback, as well as culturally specific and language-accessible support systems. These efforts aim to ensure that all survivors are heard, according to Siebel Newsom.
“I believe this report will be the impetus for all of us to become warriors to combat and end sexual assault once and for all. In America, across our globe, but particularly here in California,” said Nancy O’Malley, co-chair of the working group and former district attorney of Alameda County.
O’Malley also cited in the report that one in five women reports being sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and over 50% of assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knows. Additionally, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reports that the vast majority of sexual assault cases do not result in justice — Approximately 97% of perpetrators face no consequences and remain free.
Siebel Newsom hopes that the impact of the task force will go beyond individual cases. “When we invest in justice, prevention and care, we are not just helping individual survivors,” she said. “We are building a healthier, safer, more resilient society.”
At USC, sexual assault prevention and survivor support remain important areas of focus. CARE-SC is a confidential advocacy, resource and education support unit within the USC Keck School of Medicine aimed at supporting survivors of sexual violence. CARE-SC has been at the core of the mandatory training programs on consent, bystander intervention, and healthy relationships for incoming students that have been implemented in recent years.
The Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX, or EEO-TIX, provides a safe place to report discrimination and harassment. According to the California Department of Education, there are also California-specific Title IX requirements. Two of the requirements include mandatory sexual assault and harassment training, information on how to properly report cases and trauma-informed training.
USC students can access several resources for victims and witnesses of sexual violence and harassment at no cost through their MySHR portals.
Natalie Miller contributed to this story.