Johns Hopkins University is again asking full-time students to take a survey that will provide insight into the prevalence of sexual misconduct on campus, the accessibility and visibility of resources and reporting options, and how students perceive the efforts of the university to keep them safe.
The Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct was emailed to students this morning, and while all results are anonymous, participants must use the link in their email to ensure that the survey accurately captures the results of full-time Hopkins students. The survey takes about 30 minutes to complete, and every fifth person to submit their responses will receive a $10 Amazon gift card.
"This survey has proven to be an important tool to make meaningful changes," says Shanon Shumpert, JHU's vice provost for institutional equity. "We need to understand the scope of the problem, and we know that issues of sexual misconduct are underreported."
Just over 4,000 students, or 28% of the student population, completed the most recent climate survey—conducted at a number of schools by the Association of American Universities in the spring of 2019. Using the broadest definitions, 12.5% of participants reported they had experienced sexual assault. Female undergraduates were most likely to answer that they had experienced sexual assault, with 30% responding affirmatively. Among transgender, genderqueer, and non-binary students, 26% reported they had experienced such assaults.
Results from past climate surveys at Johns Hopkins have led to additional staff for JHU's Office of Institutional Equity, the expansion of bystander intervention training, the creation of the I Ask, I Listen, I Respect campaign designed to emphasize consent throughout sexual and intimate activity, and the introduction of new universitywide confidential positions focused on gender violence prevention, response, and education.
Students are encouraged to take the survey before Nov. 22, even if they have not experienced misconduct, so that results provide a complete and accurate indication of the prevalence of sexual violence on campus.
"Sexual misconduct remains a serious and complex problem on college campuses across the country," says Linda Boyd, Title IX coordinator and assistant vice provost for institutional equity. "We are pleased to offer our students the opportunity with this survey to inform our policies and programs that help prevent sexual misconduct and increase awareness of resources."
If you have experienced sexual misconduct, there are resources available to you. The JHU Sexual Assault Helpline, 410-516-7333, is a confidential service available 24/7 to all Johns Hopkins University students and is staffed by professional counselors. You can also set up a time to talk confidentially with Alyse Campbell, Sexual Violence Prevention & Education Coordinator, by e-mailing acampb39@jh.edu.
To file a report with the university, you can contact OIE at sexualmisconduct.jhu.edu or 410-516-8075, or contact the Johns Hopkins Compliance Hotline at 844-SPEAK2US (844-773-2528). You can also find contact information for campus security and local law enforcement on the university's sexual misconduct response and prevention website. Additional confidential resources—both on- and off-campus—can be found on the website as well.
Posted in University News, Student Life
