After sending letters to both Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Justice Secretary Eric Holder, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is pressing them further to report on how they are enforcing sexual assault at the nation's schools.

According to the Huffington Post, she requested documentation detailing how each department oversees and implements laws on how colleges and universities must respond to sexual assault reports. Currently, dozens of American institutions have been reported to the Education Department's (ED) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for mishandling sexual assault reports from students.

"I fear that, like the U.S. military, we're going to find problems on college campuses just as systemic as our troops faced - including very low reporting due to lack of protections and resources," McCaskill said in a statement. "No young man or woman should be left on their own after being victimized, and our schools must provide the highest level of responsiveness to ensure victims are empowered, and perpetrators are held accountable."

She has asked for reports on how many sexual assault cases were adjudicated by the criminal justice system versus by universities dating back to 1991. From the ED, she wanted to know how many schools have lost federal financial aid since 1991, the year such funding practices began. She asked for a swift response and expects to have her documentation by April 11.

In McCaskill's own state, the University of Missouri is under investigation from police for apparently mishandling a reported rape from a woman who later committed suicide. The school is also conducting its own probe and McCaskill has paid much attention to the situation of late.

She is also working on reforming the U.S. Military's policies on sexual assault. Her proposal cleared the Senate 97-0, but is held up in the House, where it is not expected to pass.

Duncan's department will be integral in President Obama's recently launched task force to reinvigorate policies and punishments for those found responsible of sexual violence. As part of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Obama created the "Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action" task force to stamp out campus sexual assault.

Related