According to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, popularly referred to as Title IX, schools have specific responsibilities to their students when it comes to handling and preventing sexual violence in schools. They include the following:
A school must respond promptly to any allegations of sexual violence
The school must take immediate action to eliminate sexual harassment or violence and prevent it from reoccurring
The school must act even if a student or parent does not want to pursue further action, including launching a criminal investigation if needed
Every school must have a policy against sexual discrimination
The school must have a Title IX coordinator who can ensure that the organization remains in compliance
The school needs to have clear procedures that allow students to share complaints regarding sexual discrimination