Comment on rape policy not aimed at all students

I applaud The Chronicle for writing about Duke's revision to the sexual misconduct policy Aug. 28, "Rape policy mandates reporting." The University is taking a proactive stance to ensure the safety of the community and that certainly deserves attention from the student body. However, a quote attributed to me-"The higher IQ, the more manipulative they are, the more cunning they are... imagine the sex offenders we have here at Duke-cream of the crop"-was neither accurate in the context of our conversation nor did it reflect my views, and could in fact harm our efforts to address the problem of sexual misconduct.

The difficulty in detecting and investigating sexual assault cases, particularly acquaintance rapes, which are often committed by undetected rapists who use manipulation and coercion, has been shown by the research of David Lisak, a University of Massachusetts at Boston clinical psychologist, and others. The investigations of these crimes can be further complicated by offenders who may also be categorized as antisocial or sociopathic, who are of above-average intelligence and can be highly manipulative and coercive, not only with victims but in the investigation process.

Universities gather a lot of people with above average intelligence, so it stands to reason that campuses might see more of these kinds of individuals than the general population. My comments about this complex issue were selectively edited and taken out of context to imply that all Duke students fit this pattern, which is emphatically not the case.

To be clear, the only policy change is the requirement that Duke employees and students acting for the university (such as RAs and FACs) are obligated to report to the Office of Student Conduct incidents of sexual misconduct when they become aware of them. This has long been a legal requirement when employees report sexual misconduct and is now extended to students.

I hope this issue does not detract from the important dialogues that are occurring across the campus.

Ada Gregory, Women's Center director