All Entries in the "Sexual Assault/Harassment" Category
A Surge in Sexual Discrimination Complaints at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights
The data shows there were 7,747 complaints relating to sexual discrimination filed with the Office for Civil Rights during the 2016 fiscal year. This was 46 percent of all complaints filed that year. Of these, most were related to Title IX provisions concerning equal opportunity for girls and women in athletics at educational institutions.
Middle School Bullying May Lead to a Propensity for Sexual Harassment Later
A study found that a major ingredient in bullying among middle school students involves homophobic name calling directed at boys. Victims of such bullying often turn to sexual harassment of girls to demonstrate to their male peers that they are not gay.
Washington University in St. Louis Expands Programs Relating to Sexual Assault
In addition to enhancing existing programs and hiring new counselors, the university has announced that it is launching a new research initiative to develop and test solutions for dealing with campus sexual assault.
University of Chicago Releases Results of Its Campus Climate Survey
Women students were slightly more positive about their personal experiences and overall campus climate regarding sexism than were women faculty. Women staff members had the most positive experiences.
Hunter College Agrees to Take Steps to Remedy Title IX Violations Regarding Sexual Harassment
The Department of Education investigation was triggered by a student complaint of sexual harassment by a professor. That student also alleged that the college retaliated against her for reporting the harassment. No evidence was found that the college retaliated against the student.
Emory University Surveys Its Faculty and Staff on Sexual Misconduct Issues
In recent times, many colleges and universities have undertaken campus climate surveys of their student bodies with the goal of learning the extent of sexual assault, dating violence, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination at their institution. Emory University in Atlanta also surveyed faculty and staff about their experiences with sexual misconduct.
Brigham Young University Will No Longer Link Sexual Assaults to Possible Honor Code Violations
Earlier this year, students at Brigham Young University alleged that students who were sexually assaulted but were also in violation of the university’s honor code prohibitions on drug or alcohol use or pre-marital sex did not report the sexual assault due to the expected repercussions to their status as students.
Frostburg State University Found in Violation of Title IX, Agrees to Alter Policies and Procedures
Frostburg State University in Maryland was found in violation of Title IX for inadequate policies and procedures to investigate and respond to incidents of sexual assault on its campus.
University of Illinois Study Examines Why Women of Affluence Stay In Abusive Relationships
A new study conducted at the University of Illinois finds that women from affluent households who are victims of domestic violence are often less likely to leave their spouses due to “pressures to maintain a facade of a perfect family and other values associated with a culture of affluence.”
Professor Offers Legal Education to Residents of Local Women’s Shelter in Las Vegas
A law professor, students, and alumni conduct legal clinics at a local shelter for women victims of domestic violence. Due to their situation, these women often have legal issues regarding financial and child support, custody, and protection.
Middlebury College Improves Access to Health Care for Victims of Sexual Assault
The agreement with nearby Porter Medical Center increases the number of sexual assault nurse examiners available to Middlebury College students from three to seven.
Spelman College President Reports on Efforts to Combat Sexual Assault
Last May, allegations that a Spelman College student was gang raped by four students from nearby Morehouse College were published on an anonymous Twitter account. Now Spelman College President Mary Schmidt Campbell has reported on measures the college has taken to combat sexual assault on campus.
University of Cincinnati Offers New Resources for Victims of Sexual Assault
Under the agreement, the community organization Women Helping Women will offer an on-call service 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that students at the university will always have someone to help them if they experience or witness a sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking.
Academic Study Examines Why Women Leave the Field of Engineering
The authors of the study estimate that 40 percent of all women who graduate with engineering degrees never enter the engineering workforce or drop out once they are employed in engineering.
A Guide to the Federal Government’s Resources on Combating Sexual Assault on Campus
Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, has assembled an extensive resource guide outlining all the federal resources available to colleges and universities to help them prevent sexual assault on campus and to help victims of such violence.
New Law Requires Minnesota Colleges to Conduct Sexual Assault Prevention Training
A new state law in Minnesota, which takes effect this month, requires all colleges and universities in the state to train all new students in sexual assault prevention within the first 10 days the students are on campus.
Florida International University’s New Effort to Prevent Domestic Violence
Florida International University’s International Women, Gender, and Violence Initiative is focused on prevention and education on the issues related to domestic violence on the local, national, and global scale.
Survey Finds College Students Support Mandatory Reporting Policies for Sexual Assault
Mandatory reporting policies require university employees to report to law enforcement authorities any information they have regarding a possible sexual assault involving a member of the campus community. Often the policies require a university employee to report the information even when the victim is reluctant to do so.
Study Reveals College Campuses That Had the Most Reported Rapes in 2014
Using campus safety and crime statistics collected by the federal government, the Washington Post found more than 100 colleges and universities in the United States had at least 10 reported rapes on their main campuses in 2014.
Study Finds Widespread Gender Bias and Sexual Harassment in Academic Medicine
A study led by Reshma Jagsi, associate professor in the department of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan, found that sexual harassment of women in academic medicine has declined significantly since 1995. However, sexual harassment continues to be a major problem.
University of California, Berkeley Puts Up $2.5 Million to Support Sexual Assault Response and Prevention
The University of California, Berkeley has earmarked $2.5 million in additional funds to strengthen response programs for victims of sexual violence and to mount addition measures aimed a preventing sexual assaults.
Lehigh University Examines the Role of Pornography in Forming Opinions on Gender Violence
The Office of Gender Violence Education and Support at Lehigh University in Bethlehem has developed a new program that allows students to examine the role of pornography in shaping beliefs and behaviors about sexual relations.
Brigham Young University to Study Its Sexual Assault Reporting Policies
A woman who says she was raped off campus, was notified by university officials that she was under investigation for potential honor code violations. The university prohibits students from premarital sex and the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.
University of Missouri Program Trains Nursing School Students to Identify Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
The new program at the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri, uses simulation training and is the first such program used in undergraduate nursing education in the United States, according to the university.
Faculty Member Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Columbia Business School
Enrichetta Ravina, an assistant professor of finance at Columbia Business School, claims that a professor who was acting as a mentor and facilitated her research talked about sex in the workplace and made advances toward her.
University of Utah Study Examines Sexual Assault in Migrant Communities
The report includes data about sexual violence in migrant communities, information from focus groups of women from these communities, and recommendations on how to deal with the extensive problem. The study was led by Erika George, a professor at the university’s College of Law.
Florida State University Offering New MOOC for Social Workers on Domestic Violence
Florida State University has announced that it is offering its first massive open online course entitled “Understanding Domestic Violence as a Social Service Professional.”
Baylor University’s Response to Allegations It Wasn’t Doing Enough to Combat Sexual Assault on Campus
In January, Baylor University in Waco, Texas, faced allegations that university officials failed to adequately investigate allegations of sexual violence leveled against members of its football team and that adequate support was not provided to victims of sexual assaults. Now the university has announced how it will address the issue.
Six Women File Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against the University of Tennessee
The women allege that the university fosters an environment that allows sexual assaults by student athletes and that the legal adjudication process is biased against victims of sexual assault.
University Releases Video It Later Calls “Inappropriate and Sexist”
Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, released a video aimed a reducing energy costs on campus by encouraging the campus community to dress warmly. Many women on campus were not amused.
University of California Faculty Required to Take New Online Course on Sexual Misconduct Reporting
At the beginning of the year new rules were implemented on the reporting of sexual assault and harassment. Faculty and staff supervisors will be required to take a new online course to make sure they are knowledgeable about the new policies.
New Justice Department Survey of Campus Sexual Assault
The study found that 10.3 percent of all women had been sexually assaulted during the 2014-15 school year. Slightly more than 4 percent reported that they had been raped. During the entire course of their time at college, 21 percent of all women undergraduates reported that they had been sexually assaulted.
Peer Advocates: West Virginia University Offers For-Credit Class in Sexual Assault Counseling
So far, 51 student Peer Advocates have completed a three-credit course that trained them in medical, legal, and judicial counseling and in response protocols when a sexual assault has occurred or has been alleged. They are now available to counsel other students.
In Media Reports of Celebrity Domestic Violence, Racism Is Prevalent
A new study by Joanna Pepin, a doctoral student in sociology at the University of Maryland, finds that when a Black man was accused of domestic violence, media reports were more likely to include criminal information than when a White man was accused of domestic violence.
Study Finds Significant Rise in Incidents of Rape on Days When a University’s Football Team Plays
The data shows that the number of reported rapes increase by 28 percent on days when the university’s football team has a game. When the university football team plays at home, the number of rapes increase by 41 percent.
