Racial and ethnic differences in perceptions of campus climate related to sexual violence

Abstract

Objective: To assess perceptions of university institutional climate related to sexual violence and whether these differed by race/ethnicity. Participants: Matriculated undergraduates > age 18 (n = 1028). Methods: Students were invited via campus email to participate in an online survey. Results: Overall, only 20% agreed that the university is creating an environment in which unwanted sexual experiences seemed common or normal, but these findings differed by race. Black students were more likely than their white peers to feel the university is creating an environment in which unwanted sexual experiences seem common or normal (37.3% vs. 19.7%, p < .001) and creating an environment in which such instances were more likely to occur (33.3% vs. 13.4%, p < .001). Conclusions: Data suggest that while students generally perceive that the university is working to create a positive and safe climate, these perceptions vary by race. Further investigation is necessary to better understand the concerns of students of color.

Keywords:

• Campus climate
• race/ethnicity
• sexual violence
• undergraduates

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Hila Berger, Research Compliance Officer, and Dr. Kim O’Halloran, former Associate Dean, who assisted in navigating the challenges of university hesitancy to embark on this study.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Montclair State University.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.