Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
Primary Theme: Education & Human Development
Sexual misconduct is disturbingly common in society. While it is not a new phenomenon, in recent months the issue of sexual harassment has become a part of daily conversations. The #metoo movement has given many women the courage to come forward and report sexual harassment and assault. Unfortunately, this problem is extremely common, with one in four women reporting that they suffered from harassment in some form. While these numbers are lower for men, they experience harassment and assault as well. Thus, sexual harassment and assault may be one of the most serious issues that society must confront. On university campuses, it can take different forms: between students; between students and faculty; between faculty; and between faculty or administrators and staff. Training programs are used by virtually all organizations and workplaces; however, it appears that they fail to make a difference in reducing sexual misconduct. Little research has attempted to examine these trainings and interventions, leaving us with scant knowledge as to which training method and/or content may be effective in addressing this issue. This Bass Connections project is a part of a larger endeavor to examine these questions and systematically test effective ways of intervening to prevent sexual harassment and assault on campus.