Legal Protection of Student Victims of Violence in Higher Education Governance
Keywords:
Campus violence, student protection, higher education law, procedural justice, institutional responsibility, victim recovery, access to justiceAbstract
Violence in higher education raises legal concerns because it may interfere with students’ safety, dignity, access to education, and ability to seek justice. This article examines the legal construction of student protection, institutional responsibility in handling campus violence, and the relationship between university mechanisms, state legal processes, and victim recovery. The study employs doctrinal legal research combined with an academic literature review by examining higher education regulations, rules on campus violence, sexual violence legislation, and scholarly works concerning institutional responses to victimization. The synthesis shows that student protection extends beyond prohibiting violence or imposing sanctions. It requires accessible reporting mechanisms, confidentiality, protection against retaliation, continuity of education, competent and impartial examination, procedural safeguards, reasoned decisions, and appropriate recovery measures. Universities retain responsibility for educational safety even when reported conduct may also enter criminal proceedings, while internal mechanisms cannot substitute for the authority of state law-enforcement institutions. Effective protection consequently depends on a clear division of authority accompanied by coordinated referrals and sustained academic, psychological, medical, social, and legal support for affected students.
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