In 2014, University of Minnesota student Abby Honald was tragically raped. An unimaginable experience that was followed by an unmindful investigation. Yet, Honald’s strength is abundantly clear in her successful efforts to advocate for victims of sexual assault. She has partnered with Senator Al Franken in establishing a new legislation that will be introduced in a few weeks. The bill’s purpose is to alter the way victims are interviewed by police detectives after they report an attack. It is a training program that would be offered nationwide called “trauma-informed training technique."

This bill is extremely relevant on college campuses. One study found that twenty percent of female undergraduates have survived a sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault on campus. That is every one in five females on campus -- a devastating statistic that should not be ignored. Yet, often times, within the interview process, that is exactly what happens: a victim’s story is unconsciously or purposefully ignored.

Sexual assault is a severely traumatic experience that not only involves physical harm but psychological harm. Psychological trauma is often overlooked because you cannot physically see the effects. Yet, this is key in understanding the importance in taking precautions while interviewing. Trauma affects the brain’s ability to comprehend the event and even unconsciously block out details, such information that is vital in creating a solid case. A victim’s story can be discredited by the slightest contradiction of minor details. At a time when she is most vulnerable and afraid, she is expected to detach herself in order to provide minute details of a horrific crime -- a seemingly impossible task, yet has remained the conventional procedure.

It demonstrates that a standard approach to interviewing trauma victims can be ineffective and can cause additional harm to the victim. Therefore, special procedures must be incorporated into the interviewing process for sexual assault survivors. This is the type of training the new bill will provide to respondents on sexual assault cases.

Trauma informed interviewing techniques include asking the survivor to narratively tell what they are able to recall about the event, rather than pressuring them to provide specifics in a chronological order. This indirect approach focuses on what they felt, heard, and visually experienced to trigger memories that were otherwise suppressed. The number of people the victim is interviewed by would also be limited as well as recorded. Multiple interviews can cause inconsistencies in the reports and unnecessary strain on the victim.

Rape is not an unfamiliar concept on college campuses. It is an unthinkable fear that seeps into reality. An existence that rarely finds justice. For every 1000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will go free -- an appalling number. These figures can largely be attributed to use of a traditional interviewing process that retraumatizes the victim and provides very little information. It is a devastation that can be preventable. Trauma informed interviewing will help both the investigator and the victim and this legislation is bringing it nationwide. A national step towards assisting survivors.