Black Women Are Survivors Too: Exploring Black Women's Perceptions of Campus Sexual Assault Policies

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: Black Women and Girls in Pursuit of a Higher Education: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

The Office of Civil Rights’ regulations on sexual misconduct have created broad national changes in higher education policy and practice as it relates to sexual violence. However, the government’s regulations and laws are doing little to disrupt systemic sexual violence, and more narrowly, are doing very little to protect Black women. Current literature on the sexual violence epidemic on college campuses rarely focus on, or provides data that are disaggregated by race. Thus, Black women are grossly underrepresented in college sexual assault literature. This study will explores to what extent institutional level factors, gendered racialized experiences, affective commitment to the institution, trust in college support systems impact Black Women’s perceptions of sexual assault policies & perceptions of reporting sexual assault.

Author

• Jimmy L. Howard, Clemson University