GUEST COLUMNIST: Setting the record straight on Schieber

There were several errors in last week's article about the tragic murder of Shannon Schieber. While it is rarely appropriate for any representative of Public Safety to comment on a specific case handled by Special Services due to the sensitive and confidential nature of many of the problems students and staff bring to us, I feel compelled to correct several facts in this case. Misperceptions about how we respond to complaints of stalking, relationship violence and other sensitive crimes can be dangerous. Negative misperceptions may lead a vulnerable woman or man to avoid seeking the real assistance Special Services can provide. Even positive misperceptions can be dangerous if they lead a vulnerable person to have unrealistic expectations about our ability ---or anyone's ability -- to guarantee their personal safety at all times. Penn Police never had a report of stalking in this case. She may indeed have been stalked, but the behaviors reported to our police officer did not constitute stalking. Police and other helping professionals can only respond based on the information available to them. (And, to complicate matters, the information reported to police in any given case may be incomplete or mistaken; it may be one-sided or distorted.) Sadly, the sort of behaviors reported to Special Services by Shannon Schieber are much too common. And I know from discussions with my colleagues at Penn Women's Center, the Office of Student Conduct and other campus resources that many students and staff contact them with complaints about harassing, abusive or uncivil behavior by other members of the campus community. Whether it be over the telephone, via e-mail or face-to-face, these behaviors can cause significant distress to the recipient. How we treat our peers and colleagues is an issue that warrants full examination and discussion by all of us. However, such discourse is not likely to be comfortable since it must inevitably involve discussion of gender, race, culture and other factors. Although the term "stalking" is often used loosely, it is a legal term with specific meaning. Not all disturbing or frightening behavior is a crime. When a woman or a man reports threatening or harassing behavior to Special Services, we always discuss the disturbing behavior and the surrounding circumstances with the complainant -- whether or not the behavior constitutes stalking or another crime. We try to educate the complainant about all the possible options, and assist her in evaluating these. An individual who reports relationship violence is always offered assistance in obtaining a Protection From Abuse Order, which makes this information available to all local law enforcement. An individual who lives off-campus and outside the area patrolled by Penn Police is also advised to file a report with their local police district. We also regularly refer victims of abuse to the counseling services available. Many decide, for a variety of reasons, not to petition the court for a Protection From Abuse Order. No one can do this for the abused person; she or he must decide to do it. And these restraining orders are no panacea: despite the name, they do not guarantee "protection" by police. A PFA is simply a "stay-away order." At any one time there are literally thousands of PFAs in effect in Philadelphia. Tragically, many women have been killed while such orders were in effect. As a society, we have an abysmal track record in solving the problem of domestic or relationship violence. In fact, the District Attorney's office in Philadelphia has been conducting a review for the past year to examine domestic violence cases that resulted in a death despite repeated interventions by police, courts, social service providers, mental health experts and others. We have much to learn. Like the rest of the Penn community, we are eager for a speedy resolution to the investigation by Philadelphia Police. Shannon's family and the many people who cared about this remarkable young woman deserve, at the very least, some answers to the many questions surrounding her death. In the meantime, opinions and rumors circulate. Let's remember that these are simply opinions and unsubstantiated theories, and wait for the results of the Philadelphia Homicide Division's investigation.