Boston University released the results of a campus climate survey Jan. 23 assessing sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
The Student Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey was launched in spring 2024, designed to gauge student perceptions of BU’s campus climate surrounding sexual misconduct and knowledge of University resources.
The data will then be put into “effective” use by the University and its resources.
The University partnered with Rankin Climate, an organization that collaborates with institutions to conduct research, assess results and help create a solution plan.
“We know that it only goes so far,” said Kevin Swartout, CEO and partner of Rankin Climate. “You really need to use the information to inform policies on campus, to inform sexual misconduct prevention efforts, to inform the resources that you’re offering students who may have experienced sexual misconduct. It’s all about what you do with the data.”
This survey polled a random sample of 10% of the undergraduate and graduate BU student populations, and approximately 50% of students in the sample responded to the survey.
Swartout said BU used a random sample “to be a little bit more targeted, and ultimately, that usually produces a more representative data set.”
The results found that of students who experienced sexual or gender-based harassment, 81% of undergraduate and 71% of graduate students indicated the misconduct was perpetrated by a faculty member.
The survey also found women and non-binary/transgender students were more likely to report an incident of campus sexual and gender-based misconduct than male students, and 72% of all students who indicated they had an incident of sexual misconduct said they believe their gender identity played a role.
Sophomore Ava Parker said the survey results bring more attention to cases of sexual misconduct at BU.
“You probably know someone who’s had a problem or been the problem, so I think it’s just important to raise awareness of how normal it can be,” Parker said.
BU organizations began implementing the survey results.
“[The] results also showed that LGBTQ students experience sexual misconduct at higher rates than their peers,” Nathan Brewer, director of the BU Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press. “This informs how we develop our prevention and response programs.”
The survey will impact how the University proceeds when dealing with incidents of sexual misconduct or harassment against students, Swartout said.
Junior Gina Carpenter said it is good that reports of sexual misconduct incidents are publicized, and students “see that these things are happening, whether we know that they’re happening or not.”
Sophomore Abigail Hall said the survey “can help facilitate change regarding behavior that people display when talking about sexual harassment and assault,” as it “tends to be an uncomfortable topic.”
Many resources are available for students to reach out to in the case of sexual assault or misconduct on campus, according to a Confidential Resources brochure the Equal Opportunities Office sent out with the survey results. These organizations include SARP, the EOO and Student Health Services.
Students expressed wanting to see action taken from the results of this survey, not only in the facilitation of resources but also through action against offenders.
“There have been many circumstances in the past where both students and faculty have been caught sexually harassing students or classmates, and there have not really been any serious repercussions,” Hall said.
Parker said BU can also work on prevention efforts, rather than rehabilitation efforts.
“A lot of what BU does is after the fact, they give you resources, but I think more can be done to prevent it from ever happening,” Parker said. “It would have a greater impact to prevent it from happening rather than doing damage control on the back end.”
