U. study: 80 percent of sex misconduct victims didn't report incidents to school


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SALT LAKE CITY — Eighty percent of victims of sexual assault and sexual misconduct at the University of Utah did not report the incidents to the school, a new university study shows.

Of those victims, over 60 percent said they never told university authorities because they felt it was not serious enough to report. Over 50 percent of students, however, said sexual assault or sexual misconduct is at least somewhat problematic at the university.

Nineteen percent of undergrads and 7 percent of grad students said they experienced some form of sexual assault during the Fall 2017 semester, while 17 percent of undergrads and 8 percent of grads said they experienced sexual misconduct during that same time.

(Graphic credit: University of Utah)
(Graphic credit: University of Utah)

The majority who reported experiencing some form of assault or misconduct said it was perpetrated by a friend or acquaintance, and alcohol was involved in more than half of all reports of nonconsensual sexual contact.

University students also reported experiencing sexual harassment, stalking or domestic violence. Half of undergrad students surveyed and 36 percent of grad students said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment during that fall semester — especially among transgender and genderqueer students.

(Graphic credit: University of Utah)
(Graphic credit: University of Utah)

While most said the misconduct was perpetrated by a friend or acquaintance, nearly 20 percent of respondents said the perpetrator was a faculty member or instructor at the university.

While the vast majority of students did not report the sexual misconduct to the university, the survey found that the students often talked to a close friend or roommate about the incident.

“That has really informed the way that we communicate to students in our training and education processes,” said U. spokeswoman Annalisa Purser, who added that the university has focused on encouraging its students to support victims.

In fact, a comparison with a similar university study conducted in 2016 found that 14 percent more students said they’d discussed sexual assault with friends and 11 percent more discussed it with a family member.

“It is difficult to know for certain what has impacted students’ increased involvement with and awareness of sexual assault. The MeToo movement has raised awareness across the country and has likely affected our community as well. Ultimately, it is a good thing that these issues are being discussed and addressed in a more open way,” Purser said.

Campus climate

Only 12 percent of the student body participated in the survey, but the university believes the results are statistically significant enough to identify problems that need to be addressed on campus.

“We have an ethical and a legal responsibility to ensure students have equal opportunities and access to education,” Sherrie Hayashi, director of the U.’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and Title IX coordinator, said in a news release. “These findings help us better understand how students are impacted and how we can better support them.”


The MeToo movement has raised awareness across the country and has likely affected our community as well. Ultimately, it is a good thing that these issues are being discussed and addressed in a more open way.

–U. spokeswoman Annalisa Purser


While some of the questions varied in the university’s 2016 survey, several of the questions regarding campus climate remained the same, including: whether the university protected the safety of students, handled incidents in a fair and responsible manner, responded rapidly in difficult situations, and would handle a crisis well.

Though the majority of students responded positively to all four questions, the percentage of students that disagreed or strongly disagreed increased slightly from 2016 to 2018. However, the percentage of students who agreed or strongly agreed that the university responded rapidly in difficult situations grew significantly during the two years between surveys.

The survey was administered in early 2018, a few months after U. student ChenWei Guo was shot to death in an attempted carjacking but before U. student Lauren McCluskey was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend on campus.

Awareness

The study also found that half of students were not aware of university support resources for sexual assault response, and the majority were still unsure about where to report a claim of sexual misconduct.

In late 2017, the university launched safeu.utah.edu — a one-stop shop for student resources, Purser said. If a student is unsure where to go for help, they can go to “safeu,” and learn more about campus resources and reporting options. Students may also choose to report to law enforcement.

“We have worked diligently to raise awareness about this important issue and about the resources available on campus,” U. Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Lori McDonald said in a news release. “It is clear that continued education about safety, alcohol use and how to support victims is critical, and we remain committed to these efforts.”

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