Sexual Harassment On College Campuses

"In this practical guide for higher education professionals who work in student affairs, the authors lay out a community-based model aimed at eliminating sexual misconduct of all kinds on college campuses"--

We live in a moment of renewed and highly visible action on the issue of sexual violence. Rape culture is a real and salient force that dominates campus climates and student experiences. Canada has drafted a national framework, provincial legislation, and institutional policy to address incidences of sexual violence, and students have demanded that their universities respond. Yet rape culture persists on campuses throughout North America. Violence Interrupted presents different ways of thinking about sexual violence. It draws together multiple disciplinary perspectives to synthesize new conceptual directions on the nature of the problem and the changes that are required to address it. Analyzing survey data, educational programs, participatory photography projects, interviews, autoethnography, legal case studies, and existing policy, contributors open up the conversation to illustrate sexual violence on campus as a structural, cultural, and complex social phenomenon. The diversity of methodologies sets this study apart: a problem as complex and far-reaching as rape culture must be approached from a multitude of angles. Decades have passed since student advocates first called for "no means no" campaigns, but universities are still struggling to evolve. Violence Interrupted answers the call by bridging the gap between advocacy, research, and institutional change.

The debate over sexual violence on campus is reaching fever pitch, from headlines about out–of-control fraternities, to the ”mattress protests” by female students at Columbia University and other colleges. The Hunting Ground, the new documentary by award-winning filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, has taken this debate to a new level, becoming a galvanizing catalyst for discussion at the hundreds of campuses where the documentary is being screened each month. The film has sparked calls for legislation by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York and other prominent public figures and sparked a backlash from university administrators, fraternities, and conservative groups. Now, in a new companion volume to the film, all those concerned about the “rape culture” on campus will be offered an inside perspective on the controversy, as well as reactions to the film from a range of leading writers and guidance on how to learn more and get active. As in the film, it’s the gripping personal stories told by female students—and the obstinate refusal of college administrators and law enforcement authorities to recognize the severity of the problem—that will rivet readers.

Sexual harassment is degrading and illegal. Studies show it has a negative effect on the ability of women to engage in research at the same level as men.Sexual assault on college campuses is a critical concern for students, policy makers, college administrators, and parents of current and prospective students. Chapter 1 identifies the range and scope of policies and practices related to the investigation and adjudication of sexual assaults on college campuses in the U.S. While many workers in the United States experience workplace sexual harassment--resulting in substantial costs to them and their employers--the extent of sexual harassment and the magnitude of its effects are not fully understood as discussed in Chapter 2.Chapter 3 reviews federal science agency policies and procedures for addressing sexual harassment involving federally-funded STEM researchers and their trainees. The book will also explore lessons learned, enduring challenges, and future opportunities for preventing and mitigating the negative impact of sexual harassment in STEM studies and careers.Chapter 4 is the full transcript of the "Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019."Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Chapter 5 examines some of the major changes established by the Title IX regulations, highlighting many of the most significant new requirements and noting where those obligations depart from prior ED guidance and the NPRM.

At least one in four women attending college or university will be sexually assaulted by the time they graduate. Beyond this staggering statistic, recent media coverage of “rape chants” at Saint Mary’s University, misogynistic Facebook posts from Dalhousie University’s dental school, and high-profile incidents of sexual violence at other Canadian universities point to a widespread culture of rape on university campuses and reveal universities’ failure to address sexual violence. As university administrations are called to task for their cover-ups and misguided responses, a national conversation has opened about the need to address this pressing social problem. This book takes up the topic of sexual violence on campus and explores its causes and consequences as well as strategies for its elimination. Drawing together original case studies, empirical research, and theoretical writing from scholars and community and campus activists, this interdisciplinary collection charts the costs of campus sexual violence on students and university communities, the efficacy of existing university sexual assault policies and institutional responses, and historical and contemporary forms of activism associated with campus sexual violence.

Amid the ongoing national conversation regarding campus sexual assault, this book thoughtfully explores existing programmatic interventions while wrestling with fundamental questions regarding the cultural shifts in our nation’s higher education institutions. Stressing the critical importance of student inclusion in policy decisions and procedures, scholars and experts provide complex and nuanced analyses of institutional practices, while exploring themes of race, sexuality, and sexual freedom. This volume addresses many of the unanswered questions in the present dialogue on campus sexual violence, including: What’s working and not working? How can outcomes be assessed or measured? What resources are needed to ensure success? This volume provides a truly fresh contribution for higher education and student affairs practitioners seeking to alter, design, or implement effective sexual assault prevention resources at their universities and colleges.

In this important book, Linder advances a power-conscious lens to challenge student activists, administrators, educators, and policy makers to develop more nuanced approaches to sexual violence awareness, response, and prevention on college campuses.

Current estimates suggest that at least 30% of all undergraduate women experience sexual harassment by at least one professor during their four years in college. When definitions of sexual harassment include gender harassment (sexist comments and behavior), the incidence is 70%. the frequency of graduate women and women faculty and administrators who are harassed is even higher. Ivory Power discusses current research and theory on sexual harassment on college campuses. It takes a sociological perspective to understanding and eliminating sexual harassment by presenting the following issues: the emotional impact of sexual harassment and psychotherapeutic approaches that have proved valuable in treatment; the impact on women's cognitions and a developmental model for helping women to understand and label this form of victimization; the impact of sexual harassment on physical health and suggestions for dealing with stress-related problems; and the educational interventions that have been implemented in order to challenge attitudes that perpetuate harassment. Ivory Power also addresses the interface of racism and sexism on college campuses, the legal issues involved in academic sexual harassment cases, and suggestions for handling complaints of sexual harassment in campus settings. An up-to-date bibliography of articles and books on academic harassment is provided.

Sexual violence is a problem well beyond universities, however universities are uniquely well placed to contribute to reducing sexual violence, encouraging those affected to come forward and speak about their experiences and actively encourage increased reporting. This book is unique, in that it offers an international perspective on the incidence, reporting and impact of sexual violence at universities. Drawing on evidence from the UK, North America, Australia and Europe, Towl and Walker explore the psychological and structural challenges to reporting sexual violence. They provide a set of policy and practice guidance recommendations that move beyond awareness campaigns to call for systems to be put in place whereby reports of sexual assault are handled promptly, fairly and consistently. They also discuss how universities can strengthen their approach to prevention, promoting safeguarding and the welfare of victims and survivors, and involving victims and survivors in the development and improvement of services. However, fundamental to their approach is keeping decision making with the victim and survivor, and emphasising that their health and recovery is paramount. Tackling Sexual Violence at Universities is an invaluable and ground-breaking resource for students and researchers in forensic psychology and criminology, as well as professionals working in higher education.