Reporting and Responses to Sexual Misconduct on College Campuses: Trends Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Advancing Victimization Research: Innovations from the Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab

Abstract

Gender-based violence on college campuses-including rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking-represents a serious issue due to the emotional and academic distress it causes students. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue by increasing isolation and limiting bystander intervention opportunities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). During the pandemic, the remote nature of this period altered the factors influencing victimization and how individuals reported victimization; the use of remote services to support survivors of sexual violence increased. Using data from Title IX coordinators at 42 institutions of higher education (IHEs) in Maryland, this study examines trends in sexual misconduct reporting and service provision before (2016-2020), during (2020-2022), and after (2022-2024) the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to contribute to the literature on reporting and service provision by exploring how institutional characteristics (e.g., IHE type, IHE characteristics, student demographics) may influence reporting and responses to sexual misconduct and to determine whether reporting and service patterns have changed over time. Findings will be discussed in terms of implications for policy and practice as well as future research.

Authors

• Emilie Whitehouse, University of Nebraska Omaha

• Tara Richards, The University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Lane Kirkland Gillespie, University of Nebraska Omaha