Institutional Variation in University Sexual Consent Definitions: Race, Class, and Institutional Status

• In Event: Higher Ed Policy and Campus Crises: Sexual Violence and COVID Contexts

Abstract

Higher education institutions have a societal and legal obligation under Title IX to address sexual violence. Sexual consent definitions outline which kinds of behaviors constitute misconduct and help students learn respectful sexual practices. Having a comprehensive definition of sexual consent is vital to combatting sexual violence. This paper uses a nationally representative sample of 381 public and private not-for profit, four-year institutions to understand how schools defined sexual consent in 2016. Though 88% of policy documents included a definition of sexual consent, we observed wide variation in what elements of sexual consent were included. Further analysis revealed institutions with greater percentages of Pell grant recipients and Black undergraduate enrollment were significantly associated with policies with less comprehensive consent definitions.

Authors

• Kamaria B. Porter, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Elizabeth A. Armstrong, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Katherine Leu, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor