Sexual Assault Reporting Procedures at Ohio Colleges

Abstract

Many colleges are failing to offer basic reporting options to victims of sexual assault. Having a clearly labeled sexual assault policy on a campus Web site that includes 24/7 reporting options and defines acts of sexual assault can aid victims in the reporting process.

How Confident are Confidants? Assessing the Sexual Assault-Related Resource Knowledge of College Students

“…Studies have shown that, to date, campus administrators' efforts to provide information about critical definitions and information about sexual assault resources and the procedures available to students are uneven (Karjane et al, 2002;Krivoshey et al, 2013). In one study, 33 percent of a sample of 60 universities offered students "poor" information about sexual violence on their websites (Hayes-Smith and Hayes-Smith,2009).…”

Going Beyond Clery: Evaluating Campus Definitions of ‘Sexual Assault’ and ‘Consent’

“…Few studies have focused on the definitions of "sexual assault/misconduct" as institutionalized in student codes of conduct (Hayes-Smith and Hayes-Smith, 2009;Karjane, Fisher, and Cullen, 2002;Krivoshey et al, 2013;Potter, Krider, and McMahon, 2000). All have employed some sort of content analysis of official publications, print-or Web-based.…”

“…Like Krivoshey et al (2013), a student assistant and I secured them via internet searches of institution's websites. 6 Initially, we sought the annual security report and student handbook (for the conduct code).…”

“…However, a handful of studies have focused on the ways in which policy and service provision at IHEs may also contribute to this problem. Several have audited publications that institutions generate for student use (including print and Web-based texts) to determine if they contain the definitions and policies required by federal legislation (Karjane, Fisher, and Cullen, 2002;Krivoshey et al, 2013;Lu, 1996). 1 The assumption is that students who attend institutions that are compliant will have more resources to make decisions and more support to negotiate adjudication processes.…”

“…The authors did not describe the quality of definitions employed by institutions that were placed in the "excellent" category (15 percent). Krivoshey et al (2013) examined the public websites of four-year colleges in Ohio between March and November of 2011, using eight measures related to the availability of sexual assault policies. They analyzed website text for the presence of offense titles in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC): rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition, public indecency, voyeurism, and sexual misconduct.…”