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Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus
A report of the AAUW Educational Foundation
This research was funded by generous contributions to the
AAUW Educational Foundation Eleanor Roosevelt Fund
AAUW of Oregon also provided significant funds to
support this research as part of the
AAUW Building a Harassment-Free Campus initiative.
January, 2006
Background
For more than a hundred years, AAUW
has prospered by focusing on this simple
message — educating girls and women
helps individuals, their families, and
society.
Increasingly, a college education is
essential for a woman’s economic
security and independence.
Background
AAUW has been at the forefront of
research on sexual harassment for more
than a decade.
AAUW is committed to promoting a
campus climate that is free from
gender bias and sexual harassment
to ensure that all students have an
equal opportunity to excel.
Research Methodology
Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment
on Campus is based on a nationally
representative online survey of
2,036 undergraduate college students,
female and male, ages 18 to 24, conducted
in May 2005.
The survey was conducted by Harris
Interactive, one of the leading public
opinion companies in the country.
Research Methodology
For the survey, sexual harassment was
defined as “unwanted and unwelcome
sexual behavior that interferes with your
life. Sexual harassment is not behaviors
that you like or want.”
Student respondents were asked to consider
these behaviors only in the context of their
college lives, e.g., in class, on campus, or at
campus-related events.
Research Findings
Nearly Two-Thirds of College Students Say They Have Been
Sexually Harassed on Campus
Research Findings
Sexual Harassment Happens All Over Campus
39% of harassed student say they are harassed
in dorms or student housing
37% say they are harassed outside on
campus grounds
24% say they are harassed in common areas
of campus buildings
20% say they are harassed in classrooms or
lecture halls
Research Findings
Sexual Harassment Happens at All Types of
Colleges and Universities
Research Findings
Sexual Harassment Takes a Heavy Toll on Female Students
Research Findings
Harassers Tend to Think Their Behaviors Are Funny
Research Findings
Many Students Tell No One
Research Findings
Policies and Brochures Are Common, But Not Enough
79% of college students say their school
has a sexual harassment policy in place
60% say that booklets, brochures and
other written materials are available on
campus
57% say that they would like their school
to offer a web-based confidential
method for submitting complaints
about harassment
UCF Survey Sample Characteristics
82%
Female Respondents
Male Respondents
54%
18%
46%
58%
Non-Hispanic Whites
All Other Races and
Ethnicities
69%
UCF
26%
40%
AAUW
National
Survey
UCF Campus Climate
57%
65%
UCF is Welcoming
46%
44%
UCF is Exciting
UCF is Unsafe
UCF is Hostil
Some but not a lot of Sexual
Harassment
A lot of Sexual Harassment
3.6%
4.4%
1.5%
2.4%
47%
54%
17%
21%
Male
Female
Among female respondents 21% worry about SEXUAL HARASSMENT
‘occasionally’ and 4.9% ‘a lot’ which is 10 times greater than male
respondents who worry about sexual harassment occasionally (2.9%)
and ‘a lot’ (0.49%)
Perceived Sexual Harassment
• 25% of female students and 36% of
male students said there was no
sexual harassment on campus
• 53% of female students and 47%
of male students indicated there
was some but not a lot of sexual
harassment on campus
• 21% of females and 17% of males
indicated there was ‘a lot’
Experienced Sexual Harassment at
UCF
• 67 % of respondents knew a friend
who experienced sexual harassment
• 60% of respondents were the targets
of sexual harassment
• 60% was non-physical and 34 %
physical harassment
Frequent Types of Non-contact
Sexual Harassment
• The most frequent type were jokes,
comments, gestures and looks experienced
by 60% of females and 47% of males
• Being called ‘gay’. ‘lesbian’ or
a homophobic name was reported by 32%
of males and 12% of females
• A quarter of both males and females report
being ‘mooned’ or ‘flashed’
Frequent Types of Contact
Sexual Harassment
• 29% of females report being
touched or grabbed and or
brushed against in a sexual way
and experience ALL FORMS
of unwanted contact more
frequently than males
• 21% of males report being brushed
against in a sexual way
Sexual Harassment is
Upsetting and Disruptive
• 90% or more of female students
indicated that they would be ‘very
upset’ experiencing any type of sexual
harassment
• Male students varied in frequency
of this response from 64% for being
touched to 90% for forced sexual
activity
Sexual Harassment is
Upsetting and Disruptive
• 64% of females and 30% of males
go out of their way to avoid a harasser
• One-fourth or more of women who
who have been targets of harassment
report trouble sleeping, loss of
appetite, performing poorly in class,
find it hard to study and ask someone
to protect them
What Do You Do If You are
Harassed
• 91% of females and 76% of males
would report sexual harassment
• Females knew more campus resources
than males and almost 90% cited Victim
Services
• Most frequent contacts were with the
police, Victim Services and Student
Counseling and Student Health
• Only 25% of females and 9% of males
would tell a friend
Building a Harassment-Free
campus
• Provide a confidential website to report
incidents
• More innovative education-(e.g., plays)
• More high profile speakers
• More information for new students
• Focus on certain campus groups
• Let students know there are
consequences
Conclusions
According to students, sexual harassment is
“part of college life” and is “just the way
it is.”
Most students do not talk openly or
seriously about sexual harassment.
Yet many – particularly young women –
are upset, angry, afraid, or disappointed
in their college experience as a result.
Conclusions
College students are shaping lifelong
behaviors and attitudes that they will take
with them into the work force and broader
society.
It is time for a candid and serious dialogue
about campus sexual harassment – by
students, faculty, parents, administrators, and
the collective higher education community.
Taking Action
AAUW has launched a new initiative,
Building a Harassment Free Campus, to
combat campus sexual harassment.
Action projects are underway on eleven
campuses around the country.
A summit on sexual harassment is
scheduled for June 7-10, 2006
Contacts
Learn more about Drawing the Line and
what you can do to address sexual
harassment on college campuses at
www.aauw.org/dtl.
Dr. Leslie Sue Lieberman, Director
Women’s Research Center, UCF
407-823-5142 [email protected]
www.cas.ucf.edu/womensresesrch/