RT Article
T1 Examining Sexual Misconduct Incidents Reported to Title IX Coordinators: What Predicts Reporting Outcomes?
JF Journal of interpersonal violence
VO 38
IS 19/20
SP 10972
OP 10997
A1 Branscum, Caralin Ciana
A2 Richards, Tara Nicole
A2 Alison Behre, Kelly
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1858216788
AB Although there has been much debate regarding the application of Title IX and the related reporting, investigation, and conduct processes at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States, only limited prior research has examined incidents of sexual misconduct reported to Title IX offices. The existing studies rely on aggregate data, which restricts our understanding of the scope of case-level factors (e.g., complainant type, reporting source) and how case-level factors impact case outcomes. The present study uses three years (2017–2020) of case-level data for incidents of sexual misconduct (n = 664) reported to the Title IX office at a single, large 4-year university in the Western United States to explore the scope of case-level factors and outcomes and potential changes in the rate of reporting over time. Results first show that most complainants were identified as undergraduate students, while most respondents were identified as unknown/anonymous; nearly half of the reports stemmed from responsible employees, while almost 85% came from a source other than the complainant. More than 90% of incidents were resolved through informal resolutions (e.g., providing resources to the complainant) rather than formal resolutions (i.e., the investigation and conduct process). A greater percentage of incidents reported by complainants compared to other reporter types were resolved through a formal resolution. Finally, the rate of reporting to Title IX increased significantly over the study period, but only by the Student Services office and “other” reporters. Recommendations for IHEs and future research are discussed.
K1 institutions of higher education
K1 campus sexual misconduct
K1 Title IX
K1 Sexual Misconduct
DO 10.1177/08862605231178360