Examining Institutional-Level Factors and Campus Climate on Sexual Misconduct Reporting to Title IX Coordinators and in Annual Security Reports

ABSTRACT

The present study examines the relationship between institutional-level factors and perceptions of campus climate and rates of sexual misconduct reporting to Title IX coordinators and in Annual Security reports. Data is drawn from public 4-year institutions of higher education (IHEs), community colleges, and independent IHEs in Maryland (n = 42) from 2018 to 2020. Regarding institutional level factors, higher residentiality, higher percentages of graduate students and students supported by Pell grants, and higher rates of alcohol and drug use violations were associated with higher rates of sexual misconduct reporting. On campus climate measures, only higher percentages of students reporting they know whom to contact to report sexual misconduct was associated with increased reporting. Implications for sexual misconduct prevention training and the integration of alcohol and drug use prevention into sexual misconduct prevention education are discussed. Directions for future research are also outlined.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender-based violence
• Title IX
• mandatory reporting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. IPEDS defines students reporting a disability as those students who reported having deafness or serious difficulty hearing; blindness or serious difficulty seeing; serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition; or serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

2. Liquor law violations are defined as the violation of state or local laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession or use of alcoholic beverages, not including driving under the influence and drunkenness. Include in this classification: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing possessing, etc., of intoxicating liquor, maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; underage possession; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; and any attempts to commit these offenses.

3. Drug Law Violations are defined as the violation of laws prohibiting the production, distribution and/or use of certain controlled substances and the equipment or devices utilized in their preparation and/or use. The unlawful cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation or importation of any controlled drug or narcotic substance.