Feminist, Patriarchal, and Gender-Neutral Responses to Campus Sexual Assault: Results from a National Sample of Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)

• In Event: Programs and Policies Regarding Sexual Assault on College Campuses

Abstract

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States are obligated to address sexual assault on campus under the Clery Act and Title IX, and a recent surge in societal interest in sexual assault among college students has prompted many IHEs to bolster their response. Little systematic information exists about IHE’s sexual assault policies and services and whether they align with feminist based models of advocacy. This study used the 4-year degree IHE subsample (n=377) from the Campus Sexual Assault Policy Project to examine IHEs’ responses to sexual assault on college campuses through the lens of gender-based organizational models. Findings suggest that current policies are mixed, in that they include patriarchal, gender-neutral, and feminist approaches to addressing sexual assault. Implications for improving IHE responses to sexual assault in ways consistent with feminist models are discussed.

Authors

• Tara N. Richards, University of Baltimore

• Kathryn Branch, University of Tampa

• Ruth Fleury-Steiner, University of Delaware

• Katherine Kafonek, University of Baltimore