Objective: The present study explores the influence of Title IX awareness on systematic barriers to reporting sexual and interpersonal violence among college students. Participants: The study surveyed undergraduate and graduate students from a public Northeastern institution (n = 10,615). The study also used a sub-sample of those that did not…

Objective: Few studies have compared measures of sexual misconduct reporting, and there are few assessments of campus policies on reporting. Methods: Using data from New York institutions of higher education (IHEs) (N = 209) we compare the number of sexual misconduct incidents reported in Annual Security Reports (ASRs) and to Title IX…

Sexual misconduct remains at crisis levels on American college campuses and is vastly underreported. Most research focuses on individual level risks of assault and perpetration, yet campuses vary significantly in sexual offenses and reporting rates. The current study responds to calls to consider institutional factors that shape campus climates…

Universities in the United States have undertaken the goal of addressing gender-based violence (GBV) on campus. Legal reforms have provided guidance on how this should be done, including the adoption of Title IX and the 2011 "Dear Colleague" letter. This guidance focuses on limiting liability concerns through mandatory/responsible…

Mandatory reporting (MR) policies have been implemented at universities and colleges across the US. While described as a tool to combat campus sexual assault, there is great concern about MR policies which require responsible employees to report to a university official and its adverse effects on victim-survivors. Using a survey of the general…

Colleges and universities are legally required to attempt to prevent and redress sexual violations on campus. Neo-institutional theory suggests that the implementation of law by compliance professionals rarely achieves law's goals. It is critical in claims-based systems that those who are potential claimants understand the law. This article…

For colleges and universities, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) presents a significant set of challenges in pursuit of campus safety. The namesake of this law followed the tragic death of Jeanne Clery, a Lehigh University Student, who was sexually assaulted and murdered in her…

Title IX prohibits sex-discrimination in colleges in the United States. While colleges must provide training on Title IX, little is known about its effectiveness. This study examined the campus climate and effectiveness of Title IX training among 2,393 college students at a medium-size public university in the south-central region of the U.S.…

While activists and scholars have interrogated the problem of campus sexual assault, studies have yet to understand its effects on faculty labor. In this analytical essay, Stephanie R. Larson expands studies of campus sexual violence by addressing how ineffective reporting procedures and inadequate mechanisms of response have consequences for…

Sexual assault is a problem on college campuses that disproportionately impacts lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer/questioning (LGBQ) students. Civil rights law requires that institutions of higher education in the United States (U.S.) have a system in place to address sexual assault and provide accommodations and assistance to survivors, however,…

When the pandemic shut down the country in March 2020, many college and university administrators predicted that civil rights complaints would plummet. With students learning from home and out of physical and social contact with one another, it seemed unlikely that there would be many claims of discrimination or sexual harassment under Title IX…

Schools generate and maintain numerous student records, including grades, standardized test scores, disciplinary accounts, contact information, mental health records, and more. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which applies to educational agencies and institutions that receive certain types of financial assistance from the…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, focusing on addressing campus sexual assault and ensuring student safety and rights. Opening statements were presented by: (1) Honorable Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (2)…

Many universities and colleges now require all "responsible employees," including faculty, to report known or suspected sexual misconduct to designated Title IX administrators. The intention of these mandatory reporting policies is to ensure institutional accountability and compliance with Title IX's prohibition against sexual and…

Purpose: To help protect students from school employee sexual misconduct, this qualitative case study examines implementation of school employee sexual misconduct policies in five geographically and demographically diverse school districts that experienced incidents of school employee sexual misconduct in 2014. Method: Data were collected from 92…