Report  on  the  2015  Stanford  Campus  Climate  Survey   September 2015 Offfice of the Provost Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support Table of Contents Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Perceptions of Campus Climate, Resources, and Processes…………………………….. 10 Homophobia, Sexism, and Unwanted Verbal/Online Sexual Conduct……………… 16 Prohibited Sexual Conduct………………………………………………………………………………. 20 Education and Prevention Training………………………………………………………………….. 31 Use of the Findings and Next Steps…………………………………………………………………. 35 Appendices A. Categorization of Nonconsensual Sexual Contact B. Undergraduate and Graduate Questionnaire Screenshots WARNING: This report discusses sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct and relationship violence. Some of the questions in the survey, and some sections of this report, use explicit language including anatomical names of body parts and descriptions of sexual acts. Reading this report might remind you of experiences that you or someone close to you has gone through. If you would like to talk to someone confidentially about questions or concerns relating to sexual assault or other Prohibited Sexual Conduct, please contact one of the following resources: Confidential Resources for Students Stanford Confidential Support Team - 650-736-6933 or 650-725-9955 (after hours) YWCA Stanford Rape Crisis Hotline - 650-493-7273 CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) - 650-723-3785 Confidential Resource for Faculty and Staff Faculty Staff Help Center - 650-723-4577 Non-Confidential Resources and Reporting Stanford Title IX Office - 650-497-4955 SARA (Office of Sexual Assault & Relationship Abuse Education & Response) - 650-725-1056 Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 1 Executive Summary The Stanford Campus Climate Survey was conducted in the spring of 2015 to improve Stanford’s understanding of the extent and nature of Prohibited Sexual Conduct on campus and to gather students’ views of campus climate. The confidential survey first asked general questions about perceptions of safety and respect in the campus community and then focused primarily on students’ individual experiences of Prohibited Sexual Conduct. This report is organized to largely follow the order in which students were shown each topic while taking the survey itself. In all, 15,368 degree-seeking Stanford students were invited to participate in the survey. Two-thirds of undergraduates and over half of graduate students responded to the survey, for an overall response rate of 59%. Perceptions of Campus Climate The findings reveal that a majority of Stanford students perceive a positive campus climate. Most survey respondents (87%) indicated that they feel extremely safe or very safe on the Stanford campus. For some climate measures, perceptions differed by gender identity, with gender-diverse1 respondents indicating lower levels of safety and support on campus than men and women. Over 80% of both undergraduate and graduate respondents report feeling a sense of community on campus. A majority of respondents, 53%, feel extremely valued or very valued in the Stanford learning environment. One aspect of campus life about which undergraduate students were critical was the effectiveness of support provided by Stanford to students going through personal crises. A majority (53%) of undergraduates providing an opinion on the topic thought that such support is ineffective. Undergraduate respondents self-identifying as queer, asexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, and questioning rated Stanford’s support for students going through personal crises as less effective than respondents who self-identified as heterosexual/straight. By contrast, a majority of graduate respondents selected don’t know/no opinion on this question. Many survey respondents witnessed behaviors at Stanford that they characterized as sexist or homophobic. Over three-quarters of undergraduates indicated that they witnessed sexist remarks or jokes about women at Stanford. At the graduate level, just over half of survey respondents indicated that they witnessed such behavior. Sixty-three percent of survey respondents witnessed someone at Stanford making what they perceived as inappropriate comments about the respondent’s or someone else’s body or attractiveness. Prohibited Sexual Conduct Out of 9,067 survey respondents, 1.9% indicated having experiences since starting their degree programs at Stanford that were categorized as meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault, which is 1 Students who self-identify as transgender, genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, preferred another term, and/or selected multiple gender identities are referred to as gender-diverse in this report. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 2 based on California’s criminal rape and sexual offense statutes.2 Among undergraduate survey respondents, the prevalence rates of sexual assault for gender-diverse respondents (6.6%) and for women (4.7%) were higher than the rate for men (0.6%). Among graduate students responding to the survey, the prevalence rate of sexual assault was higher for women (2%) than for men (0.3%).3 In addition to the 1.9% of respondents who indicated experiences of sexual assault, another 14.2% indicated having experiences categorized as meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual misconduct since starting their degree programs at Stanford, including acts ranging from sexual touching to penetration.4 Undergraduate women (32.9%) and gender-diverse undergraduates (30.8%) had the highest prevalence of experiences of sexual misconduct, followed by male undergraduates (12.3%), graduate women (10.1%), and graduate men (3.1%).5 Among respondents experiencing any kind of nonconsensual sexual act, 84.9% indicated that the person(s) responsible were Stanford students. Only 2.7% of all respondents who experienced any kind of nonconsensual sexual conduct formally reported the incident to the university. Survey respondents expressed trust in Stanford to respond appropriately to incidents of sexual violence. For instance, 87% of survey respondents thought it was likely that Stanford would take any reports of sexual assault seriously. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents thought that Stanford would treat someone accused of sexual assault fairly. Three-quarters of survey respondents thought it likely that Stanford would hold someone found responsible for sexual assault accountable. The Stanford Campus Climate Survey also asked respondents about whether they had experienced stalking or relationship violence since starting their degree programs at Stanford. Types of stalking included receiving persistent contact after requesting someone to stop, being watched or followed, and having negative things written about the respondent online that made the respondent feel unsafe. Of all survey respondents, 1,005 (11%) experienced stalking since starting their degrees at Stanford. Respondents were asked about types of relationship violence ranging from being scratched or pushed to being assaulted with a weapon. Of all survey respondents, 484 (5.3% of those who had been physically or romantically intimate with someone) reported relationship violence since starting their degree programs at Stanford. 2 Survey responses were included in the category of sexual assault when respondents indicated experiencing penetration without consent and/or oral sex without consent and when the respondent indicated that the act (or attempted act) was accomplished through threat of violence, force, and/or when the respondent was incapacitated. Both completed and attempted acts were included. 3 The prevalence of sexual assault among gender-diverse graduate respondents is not reported here to protect respondents’ privacy as there were few students in this category. 4 Survey respondents were included in the category of sexual misconduct when they (i) indicated experiencing penetration without consent and/or oral sex without consent when force, threat of violence, or incapacitation were not indicated (both completed and attempted acts were included); and (ii) experienced completed acts of sexual touching without consent or some completed acts of clothing removal without consent. Sexual touching includes incidents when someone touched, fondled, or rubbed up against the intimate body part of another (a woman’s breast, or any person’s groin area or buttocks). 5 The prevalence of sexual misconduct among gender-diverse graduate respondents is not reported here to protect respondents’ privacy as there were few students in this category. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 3 Education and Prevention Training Undergraduates report more thorough training and knowledge about Prohibited Sexual Conduct than graduate students. Over two-thirds of undergraduates believe they have received education on preventing sexual assault that was adequate or better, compared to 43% of graduate students. Threequarters of undergraduates self-report that they understand the concept of consent well, compared to 55% of graduate students. Over half of undergraduate respondents (57%) and half of graduate respondents (50%) indicated that if they needed to seek confidential help for themselves or a friend following unwanted sexual contact or harassment, they would know how to get that help. Use of the Findings and Next Steps The university will use the findings from this survey to improve education, prevention training, and response efforts. Further analyses of the survey results are planned to better understand variation in students’ attitudes and experiences, in support of Stanford’s commitment to create a respectful community where all students thrive. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 4 Introduction Stanford is committed to providing all students an environment free of sexual harassment and sexual violence. In a letter to the Stanford community in September 2014, President John Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy wrote: Sexual violence has no place in the Stanford community. Our very concept of community here at Stanford is based on principles of personal integrity and respect for others.6 This report presents results from the Stanford Campus Climate Survey, conducted in spring of 2015. The survey first asked general questions about perceptions of the campus community and then focused primarily on students’ individual experiences of Prohibited Sexual Conduct. Stanford conducted this survey to:   Better understand the frequency and nature of incidents of Prohibited Sexual Conduct. Improve the university’s prevention, education, and resources for responding to Prohibited Sexual Conduct. Stanford is grateful to all students who took the survey for their time and thoughtful responses. High student participation enabled the creation of a rich data resource that will meaningfully inform the university’s ongoing efforts to prevent Prohibited Sexual Conduct and to ensure the best possible response and support for students when it does occur. Survey Administration The questionnaire was developed after a thorough review of academic research, questionnaires used by other universities, and recommendations from the federal government.7 Most sections of the questionnaire were adapted from previously validated sources, though some Stanford-specific sections were created for this survey. Please see Appendix B for the undergraduate and graduate questionnaires. The survey was open between April 21, 2015, and May 11, 2015.8 All degree-seeking Stanford students enrolled in spring quarter 2015 were invited to take the survey. Students who had not yet taken the survey were sent up to three reminders. In order to protect student privacy, Stanford contracted with an independent research organization, NORC at the University of Chicago, to administer the survey and perform the preliminary data analyses. Stanford has no information about participants’ identities nor can Stanford link a response to a student’s identity. 6 From http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/september/assault-leadership-letter-092214.html. See the guide to conducting climate surveys published on the federal Not Alone website at https://www.notalone.gov/assets/ovw-climate-survey.pdf; the 2014 Community Attitudes on Sexual Assault survey conducted by MIT available at http://web.mit.edu/surveys/health/; Koss, M.P., Abbey, A., Campbell, R., Cook, S., Norris, J., Testa, M., Ullman, S., West, C., & White, J. (2007). Revising the SES: A collaborative process to improve assessment of sexual aggression and victimization. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 357‐370; Krebs, C.P., Lindquist, C.H., Warner, T.D., Fisher, B.S., & Martin, S.L. (2009). College Women’s Experiences with Physically Forced, Alcohol- or Other Drug-Enabled, and Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Before and Since Entering College. Journal of American College Health, 57(6), 639-647. 8 The survey was closed for some of this period to address technical problems with survey administration. 7 Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 5 Most students invited to take the survey were offered a $20 incentive, with the option either to receive an Amazon gift card or to donate the incentive to one of four local and national non-profit organizations. A random sample of 1,000 undergraduates and another random sample of 1,007 graduate students were offered a slightly higher incentive amount ($30) as a means to better understand patterns of nonresponse bias.9 All undergraduates had an equal chance of being selected to be in the random sample, as did all graduate students. The median time to complete the survey was 15 minutes. Response Rates Invitations to participate in the survey were sent to 15,368 Stanford students. A total of 9,067 students responded to the survey, for an overall response rate of 59%. A student is considered to have responded to the survey, and is included in this report, if they answered any question in the third section on the survey (starting on page 12 of the survey instrument; see Appendix B).10 Respondents were not required to answer any specific question on the survey, and some respondents chose to skip some questions. For questions near the end of the survey, as many as 4% of respondents did not answer each question. Accordingly, the number of respondents in tables and charts in this report varies by question. Table 1 presents response rates to the survey by degree level and sex.11 Students engaged in both an active undergraduate degree program and an active graduate degree program (coterminal master’s students) were categorized as undergraduates for this survey. Table 1: Response Rates by Degree Level and Sex Number invited to take the survey Undergraduate Female 3,284 Male 3,674 Total 6,958 Graduate Female 3,239 Male 5,171 Total 8,410 Grand total 15,368   Number responding to the survey 2,202 2,392 4,594 1,848 2,625 4,473 9,067 Response rate 67% 65% 66% 57% 51% 53% 59% Approximately two-thirds of undergraduates (66%) and more than half of graduate students (53%) responded to the survey. Female students responded to the survey at higher rates than male students, although this pattern was more pronounced among graduate students. 9 Non-response bias occurs when there are differences between results from respondents and what the results would be with full participation. In this survey, students offered the $30 incentive had a 4.1% higher response rate than students offered the $20 incentive. There was no difference in the prevalence of sexual assault between the two groups of respondents. 10 A total of 8,850 respondents reached the end of the survey and submitted their responses. 11 In order to calculate response rates, sex as recorded in university records was used. All other findings in this report use gender as self-reported by the survey respondent. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 6   Among undergraduate students, response rates for students in their first four years were very similar, ranging from a low of 65% for third years to a high of 68% for fourth years. Undergraduates in their fifth year and beyond responded to the survey at lower rates than students in their first four years, although this pattern was more pronounced among fifth-yearand-beyond males (45%) compared to fifth-year-and-beyond females (63%). Table 2, below, shows the response rates by school for graduate students, which varied from 45% to 64%. Table 2: Response Rates by School (graduate students only) Number invited School to take the survey Business 994 Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences 329 Education 330 Engineering 2,926 Humanities & Sciences12 2,238 Law 644 Medicine 949 Graduate student total   8,410 Number responding to survey 445 184 task8 1,499 1,238 414 495 Response rate 4,473 53% 45% 56% 60% 51% 55% 64% 52% Response rates to the survey differed by race/ethnicity and citizenship. Black/African American students (48%) and American Indian/Alaska Native students (55%) had lower response rates than students of other races/ethnicities. International students had a lower response rate (49%) than domestic students. At both the graduate and undergraduate levels, response rates for students who live on campus were about 15 percentage points higher than students who live off campus. Because response rates differ across student demographics in ways noted above, survey respondents’ demographic and academic characteristics differ from the entire population of degree-seeking Stanford students. Students who did not respond to the survey may differ from survey respondents in additional ways that cannot be observed, such as in their feeling of connectedness to the Stanford community or in their attitudes toward the issues covered in the survey. Accordingly, the results presented in this report should be interpreted as representative of the survey respondents only, and should not be generalized to the population of Stanford students as a whole. To protect student privacy, results are not presented in this report when doing so would allow any student to be identified. Asterisks (*) in tables signify that results have been suppressed to protect respondents’ privacy. This report disaggregates findings by subgroups of students, such as by degree level and gender, when there are substantial differences in the results for different groups of students and when each group has enough students in it for any comparisons to be meaningful. 12 Includes students pursuing a master’s of liberal arts degree through Stanford Continuing Studies. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 7 Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents The following tables present self-reported characteristics of survey respondents. Survey respondents were asked to check all categories with which they identify and graduate respondents were asked to select all degree programs in which they are enrolled. In the following tables, respondents are included in each row they selected; accordingly, totals for some tables exceed 100%. Table 3: Self-Reported Degree Program(s) (check all that apply; graduate respondents only) Percent of graduate respondents selecting Degree Number each degree (4,473) DMA * * ENG 108 2% JD 376 8% JSD 10 <1% JSM 9 <1% LLM 33 1% MA 247 6% MBA 383 9% MD 194 4% MFA 12 <1% MLA 18 <1% MS 1,017 23% PhD 2,549 57% Other 29 1% Table 4: Self-Reported Class Year (undergraduate respondents only) Year Number 1 1,115 2 1,106 3 1,119 4 1,108 5+ 130 Total 4,578 Percent 24% 24% 24% 24% 3% 100% The Stanford Campus Climate Survey asked respondents to indicate their gender identity or identities, and then, in a separate question, asked respondents to indicate their sexual orientation(s). In this report, gender identity and sexual orientation are treated as two distinct analytic categories. Table 5 displays responses to the question about gender identity, and Table 6 displays responses to the question about sexual orientation. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 8 Table 5: Self-Reported Gender (check all that apply) Number Woman Man Female to male transgender or trans man Male to female transgender or trans woman Genderqueer/ Gender-nonconforming I prefer another term 4,035 4,965 5 8 97 30 Percent of all respondents (9,067) 45% 55% <1% <1% 1% <1% For the remainder of the report, results pertaining to gender are presented in three categories:    Women: respondents who selected Woman and no other gender identity. Men: respondents who selected Man and no other gender identity. Gender diverse: respondents who selected female to male transgender or trans man, male to female transgender or trans woman, genderqueer/gender-nonconforming, I prefer another term, and/or selected multiple identities. People with different identities within the grouping of ‘gender diverse’ may have experiences that differ from one another in important ways. Because of the small numbers of respondents with these identities, however, grouping these identities into one category was necessary to protect respondents’ privacy. Table 6: Self-Reported Sexual Orientation (check all that apply) Number Heterosexual or straight Bisexual Gay Lesbian Queer Asexual Questioning I prefer another term Decline to state 8,003 412 398 71 239 88 201 58 69 Percent of all respondents (9,067) 88% 5% 4% 1% 3% 1% 2% 1% 1% Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 9 Table 7: Self-Reported Race/Ethnicity13 (check all that apply) Number White Asian/Asian American Hispanic or Latina/o Black or African American American Indian or Alaska Native Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Mixed race 5,265 2,941 1,125 502 180 97 790 Percent of all respondents (9,067) 58% 32% 12% 6% 2% 1% 9% Perceptions of Campus Climate, Resources, and Processes Survey respondents were asked a series of questions about their perceptions of the university community and administration. Sense of Community Table 8 presents survey respondents’ answers to the question: How strong a sense of community do you feel at Stanford? Over 80% of both undergraduate and graduate respondents reported feeling at least some sense of community on campus. Table 8: How Strong a Sense of Community Do You Feel at Stanford? Undergraduate Graduate respondents respondents Strong sense of community 1,602 (35%) 1,251 (28%) Some sense of community 2,372 (52%) 2,347 (53%) Weak sense of community 530 (12%) 745 (17%) No sense of community 76 (2%) 123 (3%) Total 4,580 (100%) 4,466 (100%) All respondents 2,853 (32%) 4,719 (52%) 1,275 (14%) 199 (2%) 9,046 (100%) Peer Support Relationships with peers are a critical factor in students’ perceptions of campus culture. Undergraduate students were asked: How much can you depend on your friends for support? Three-quarters of undergraduates (75%) responded that they could depend on their friends for support either a great deal or a lot. Only 7% of undergraduates responded that they could depend on their friends a little or not at all. Recognizing the more professional context of many graduate students’ interactions with their peers, graduate students were asked a slightly different question: How much can you depend on your Stanford 13 In other university publications, race/ethnicity is typically reported for domestic students only. Here, all survey respondents were asked about their racial/ethnic identities, so the distribution will be different than in other university reports. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 10 peers for support? A majority of graduate respondents (56%) indicated that they could depend a great deal or a lot on their Stanford peers for support. However, 12% of graduate respondents said that they could depend on their peers only a little and 3% said that they could depend on their peers not at all. Among both undergraduate and graduate respondents, women indicated that they could depend on their peers at slightly higher levels than men or gender-diverse respondents. Valued in the Learning Environment A majority of respondents, 53%, feel extremely valued or very valued in the Stanford learning environment. At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, men had the highest perceived levels of being valued in the learning environment. Among undergraduates, 51% of men felt either extremely valued or very valued compared to 42% of women and 28% of undergraduates with gender-diverse identities. At the graduate level, 63% of men felt extremely valued or very valued compared to 56% of women and 32% of graduate respondents with gender-diverse identities. Table 9: How Valued Do You Feel in the Learning Environment at Stanford? Extremely valued Very valued Moderately valued Slightly valued Not at all valued Total Undergraduate respondents Graduate respondents All respondents 568 (12%) 1,554 (34%) 1,798 (39%) 526 (11%) 132 (3%) 863 (19%) 1,817 (41%) 1,393 (31%) 314 (7%) 77 (2%) 1,431 (16%) 3,371 (37%) 3,191 (35%) 840 (9%) 209 (2%) 4,578 (100%) 4,464 (100%) 9,042 (100%) Care from Faculty Similar to the results for feeling valued in the learning environment (above), approximately half of respondents (51%) felt that Stanford faculty care about them a great deal or a lot. Women and men had very similar responses among both graduate and undergraduate students. Gender-diverse respondents had markedly lower levels of perceived care from faculty than either men or women, with 35% of gender-diverse undergraduates and 36% of gender-diverse graduate respondents perceiving that faculty care about them a lot or a great deal, compared to the overall level of 51%. Table 10: How Much Do Stanford Faculty Care About You? A great deal A lot A moderate amount A little Not at all Total Undergraduate respondents Graduate respondents All respondents 577 (13%) 1,597 (35%) 1,763 (39%) 551 (12%) 88 (2%) 753 (17%) 1,615 (36%) 1,580 (35%) 440 (10%) 75 (2%) 1,330 (15%) 3,212 (36%) 3,343 (37%) 991 (11%) 163 (2%) 4,576 (100%) 4,463 (100%) 9,039 (100%) Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 11 Care from Administrators Graduate respondents perceived more care from Stanford administrators than undergraduate respondents, as shown in Table 11 below. Forty-two percent of graduate respondents said that the Stanford administration cared about them a great deal or a lot compared to 28% of undergraduate respondents. The most common answer for all respondents was that Stanford administrators care about them a moderate amount. There were not substantial differences among men and women in the amount of perceived care, although gender-diverse respondents perceived less care from Stanford administrators than either men or women. Table 11: How Much Do Stanford Administrators Care About You? A great deal A lot A moderate amount A little Not at all Total Undergraduate respondents Graduate respondents All respondents 290 (6%) 970 (21%) 1,752 (38%) 1,107 (24%) 453 (10%) 495 (11%) 1,368 (31%) 1,644 (37%) 729 (16%) 222 (5%) 785 (9%) 2,338 (26%) 3,396 (38%) 1,836 (20%) 675 (7%) 4,572 (100%) 4,458 (100%) 9,030 (100%) Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 12 Feeling Safe on Campus Most survey respondents (87%) feel extremely safe (40%) or very safe (47%) on the Stanford campus. Majorities of respondents of all gender identities perceived the campus as safe. Perceptions of safety differ, however, by gender identity, with 15% of gender-diverse respondents perceiving the campus as somewhat unsafe, very unsafe, or extremely unsafe. Perceptions of safety also differed by sexual orientation with respondents self-identifying as lesbian, queer, asexual, and those who selected I prefer another term indicating that they felt safe at lower rates than respondents of other sexual orientations. Figure 1 How Safe Do You Feel on the Stanford Campus? Perceptions of Safety by Gender Identity Extremely unsafe Men (4,927) Very unsafe Somewhat unsafe 6% Women (3,980) 3% 4% All responses (9,048) 2% 0% Somewhat safe 41% 2% Gender diverse (141) Neither safe nor unsafe 55% 7% 16% 10% 10% 25% 38% 25% 47% 20% 30% Extremely safe 51% 15% 8% Very safe 40% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Percent of Respondents Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 13 100% Support for Students in Crisis Resources for supporting students’ mental health and wellness have been a major issue of concern for campus and student government leaders over the past academic year. Undergraduate respondents were more likely than graduate respondents to provide an opinion when asked: How effective is Stanford’s support system for students going through personal crises? Over half (56%) of graduate respondents selected the option don’t know/no opinion, while only 27% of undergraduates responded don’t know/no opinion. Table 12, below, presents perceived ratings of effectiveness, both as a percentage of those expressing an opinion (black text) and as a percentage of all respondents in each gender identity and degree level (blue text). Table 12: How Effective Is Stanford's Support System for Students Going Through Personal Crises? Percent responding in each category, excluding don't know/no opinion (Number in parentheses reflects percent responding in each category including don't know/no opinion) UG women (2,147) Very effective Effective Somewhat effective Neither effective nor ineffective Somewhat ineffective Ineffective Very ineffective Opinion total Don't know/ no opinion All responses total UG men (2,340) UG gender diverse (83) Grad women (1,828) Grad men (2,576) Grad gender diverse (58) 2% 8% 27% 8% (2%) (6%) (21%) (6%) 3% 12% 27% 9% (2%) (8%) (18%) (6%) 0% 1% 9% 4% (0%) (1%) (8%) (4%) 7% 23% 34% 6% (4%) (12%) (18%) (3%) 8% 31% 30% 8% (3%) (12%) (11%) (3%) 6% 17% 29% 0% (3%) (10%) (17%) (0%) 23% 20% 13% 100% (18%) (16%) (10%) 20% 19% 9% 100% (13%) (13%) (6%) 24% 28% 33% 100% (22%) (25%) (30%) 15% 9% 5% 100% (8%) (5%) (3%) 12% 9% 3% 100% (4%) (3%) (1%) 14% 17% 17% 100% (9%) (10%) (10%) (20%) (34%) (10%) (48%) (62%) (40%) (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) When responses of those expressing an opinion were analyzed (excluding those who said don’t know/no opinion) substantial differences in perception by gender, race/ethnicity,14 and sexual orientation15 were found. The following paragraphs report percentages only of those expressing an opinion. Respondents indicating that Stanford’s support system for students going through personal crises was somewhat ineffective, ineffective, or very ineffective are collectively referred to as providing a response to this question of “ineffective”. Gender-diverse undergraduates were most critical of Stanford’s support system, with 85% of those expressing an opinion (n=75) responding that Stanford’s support system for students going through personal crises was ineffective. By contrast, 56% of undergraduate women expressing an opinion and 14 On the survey, race/ethnicity was in a check-all-that-apply format, where respondents could select multiple identities. In this analysis, respondents selecting multiple identities are included in each group with which they identify. 15 The questionnaire asked respondents to select sexual orientation(s) in a check-all-that-apply format. In this analysis, respondents selecting multiple sexual orientations are included in each group they selected. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 14 48% of undergraduate men expressing an opinion responded that Stanford’s support system was ineffective. Graduate respondents who expressed an opinion were more positive than undergraduates; 48% of gender-diverse graduate respondents, 29% of graduate women, and 24% of graduate men rated Stanford’s support system for students going through personal crises as ineffective. Among the 73% of undergraduates who expressed an opinion on this question (excluding those who said don’t know/no opinion), undergraduate respondents self-identifying as queer, asexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, questioning, and/or selected I prefer another term all had higher proportions of respondents rating Stanford’s support system for students going through personal crises as ineffective than the proportion among undergraduates who self-identified as heterosexual/straight.16 When responses to this question were analyzed by race/ethnicity, among the 73% of undergraduate respondents expressing an opinion on the question, American Indian/Alaska Native respondents, mixed race respondents, and Black/African American respondents had the highest proportions rating Stanford’s support system for students going through personal crises as ineffective, compared to the overall rate among undergraduates. Asian/Asian American undergraduate respondents and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander undergraduate respondents rated Stanford’s support system as ineffective at lower rates than other groups. The proportion of Hispanic/Latina(o) undergraduates and White undergraduates rating Stanford’s support system as ineffective was similar to the overall undergraduate rate. 16 Fewer than 50 undergraduate respondents selected each of the categories of asexual, lesbian, or I prefer another term on the sexual orientation question, so caution should be exercised when interpreting results for these groups. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 15 Stanford’s Perceived Fairness in Handling Student Misconduct When asked about fairness in Stanford’s handling of student misconduct, the majority of graduate respondents (59%) did not give a substantive response, selecting the option don’t know/no opinion. Most undergraduates reported an opinion about Stanford’s fairness, with only one-fifth (20%) of undergraduates responding don’t know/no opinion. Table 13, below, presents perceived ratings of fairness, both as a percentage of those expressing an opinion (black text) and as a percentage of all respondents in each gender identity and degree level (blue text). Table 13 shows that, of those expressing an opinion, large majorities of men and women at both undergraduate and graduate levels thought that Stanford was at least somewhat fair in handling student misconduct. Gender-diverse respondents perceived Stanford to be less fair in handling student misconduct than men or women. Table 13: How Fair Is Stanford in Handling Student Misconduct? Percent responding in each category, excluding don't know/no opinion (Number in parentheses reflects percent responding in each category including don't know/no opinion) UG women UG men UG gender Grad women Grad men Grad gender (2,148) (2,343) diverse (84) (1,829) (2,577) diverse (58) Very fair 6% (5%) 8% (6%) 6% (5%) 12% (5%) 14% (5%) 0% (0%) Fair 26% (21%) 33% (26%) 7% (6%) 36% (16%) 41% (16%) 11% (5%) Somewhat fair 32% (25%) 26% (21%) 10% (8%) 23% (10%) 21% (8%) 25% (12%) Neither fair nor unfair 8% (6%) 7% (6%) 13% (11%) 7% (3%) 6% (3%) 14% (7%) Somewhat unfair 14% (11%) 12% (10%) 19% (17%) 11% (5%) 9% (4%) 18% (9%) Unfair 9% (7%) 9% (7%) 22% (19%) 7% (3%) 7% (3%) 21% (10%) Very unfair 5% (4%) 5% (4%) 24% (20%) 3% (1%) 3% (1%) 11% (5%) Opinion total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Don't know/ (20%) (20%) (14%) (57%) (60%) (52%) no opinion All responses total (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) Homophobia, Sexism, and Unwanted Verbal/Online Sexual Conduct In order to investigate the climate for people of different gender identities and sexual orientations, survey respondents were asked if they had witnessed a number of behaviors since starting their degree programs at Stanford.17 Respondents were asked to specify whether those behaviors occurred in a class setting, at lab or work, in another Stanford setting, or that they never experienced this at Stanford. For all behaviors, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, the most common experience of each behavior was in another Stanford setting. Figures 2 through 4 present the frequency of experiencing behaviors in any Stanford setting, meaning that a person is included no matter which of the three settings (class, lab or work, or another Stanford setting) they indicated. Respondents may have indicated 17 This section sometimes uses abbreviated labels for the behaviors in the questionnaire. For the exact wording of each behavior, please see the full questionnaire in Appendix B. The questions asked respondents about offensive, homophobic, and sexist behaviors. Accordingly, these results represent respondents’ own characterizations of actions they considered to be offensive, homophobic, and/or sexist. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 16 they experienced the behavior in multiple settings, but are only counted once per behavior in the figures below. Fifty-six percent of undergraduate respondents indicated that they had witnessed someone telling offensive jokes about lesbians, gay men, or bisexual people at Stanford. Twenty-three percent of graduate respondents indicated that they had witnessed such jokes. Gender-diverse undergraduates responded that they had witnessed homophobic behaviors at higher levels than other respondents. Figure 2: Witnessing Homophobic Remarks Percent of Respondents Witnessing Homophobic Remarks in Any Stanford Setting 54% 58% Someone telling offensive jokes about lesbians, gay men or bisexual people 21% 24% 83% 41% UG women (2,138) 27% 29% Someone making crude or offensive remarks about gay people 10% 10% UG men (2,329) 64% 28% Grad women (1,822) Grad men (2,570) 29% 37% Someone calling someone else homophobic names 7% 11% 0% 20% UG gender diverse (83) 34% 40% Grad gender diverse (58) 57% 60% 80% 100% Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 17 Over three-quarters of undergraduates (77%) indicated that they witnessed sexist remarks or jokes about women, while 60% of undergraduates indicated that they witnessed sexist remarks or jokes about men. By comparison, at the graduate level, around half (51%) of graduate respondents witnessed sexist remarks or jokes about women and 35% witnessed such jokes about men. Figure 3: Witnessing Sexist Remarks Percent of Respondents Witnessing Sexist Remarks in Any Stanford Setting 79% 76% Someone making sexist remarks or jokes about women in your presence 90% 57% 46% UG women (2,144) UG men (2,337) 64% UG gender diverse (83) 55% Grad women (1,820) 65% 61% 61% Someone making sexist remarks or jokes about men in your presence Grad men (2,569) Grad gender diverse (58) 31% 39% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 18 Figure 4, below, presents the percent of respondents experiencing unwanted verbal and online sexual conduct by degree level and gender identity. For all types of unwanted verbal and online sexual conduct, gender-diverse undergraduates report experiencing these behaviors at the highest rates. The most common type of unwanted verbal sexual conduct among all respondents, indicated by 63% of all respondents, was someone making inappropriate comments about the respondent’s or someone else’s body, appearance or attractiveness. Figure 4: Unwanted Verbal/Online Sexual Conduct Percent of Respondents Experiencing Unwanted Verbal/Online Sexual Conduct in Any Stanford Setting Someone making inappropriate comments about your or someone else’s body, appearance or attractiveness in your presence 43% 30% Someone saying crude or gross sexual things to you, or trying to get you to talk about sexual matters when you didn’t want to 41% 36% 20% 14% 34% 31% Someone telling you about their sexual experiences when you did not want to hear them 33% 18% 13% 53% 83% 75% 87% 79% 50% 54% UG women (2,139) UG men (2,332) UG gender diverse (83) 26% 9% Someone repeatedly asking you on dates, to go out, or hook up even after you've said no 17% 14% 3% 7% 3% Someone seeming to bribe you with some sort of reward if you agreed to engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with that person 5% 3% 1% 8% 7% 0% 33% Grad men (2,569) Grad gender diverse (58) 17% 16% 20% Someone e‐mailed, texted, posted on social media or instant messaged offensive sexual jokes, stories, or pictures to you Grad women (1,825) 36% 16% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 19 The results above referred to behaviors in any Stanford setting. The most common behaviors witnessed in classroom settings were:  Sexist remarks about women (experienced in class by 34% of undergraduate women, 24% of undergraduate men, 56% of gender-diverse undergraduates, 26% of graduate women, 13% of graduate men, and 27% of gender-diverse graduates).  Inappropriate comments about your/someone else’s body, attractiveness or appearance (experienced in class by 23% of undergraduate women, 22% of undergraduate men, 44% of gender-diverse undergraduates, 15% of graduate women, 9% of graduate men, and 22% of gender-diverse graduates). For both sexist remarks and inappropriate comments about someone’s body, graduate respondents were roughly equally likely to experience these behaviors in lab or work settings as in classroom settings. By contrast, undergraduates reported experiencing these behaviors in lab or work settings much less frequently than in classroom settings. Prohibited Sexual Conduct Nonconsensual Sexual Contact The Stanford Campus Climate Survey asked students about a broad range of behaviors in order to understand the full extent of nonconsensual sexual contact on campus. Answers to these questions provide critical information to the university about the campus community. It would be misleading, however, to compare results of this survey to results from other institutions or academic studies. Comparisons are problematic because studies differ in the wording of questions, which populations are included, which acts are included, and how key terms, such as sexual assault, are defined. Accordingly, the results presented below cannot validly be compared to those from other institutions or in academic publications. Following best practices established in the academic research on sexual violence, the practices of peer universities, and recommendations from the federal government,18 the section of the questionnaire on nonconsensual sexual contact asked detailed questions about behaviors and experiences using everyday language and names of intimate body parts. Please see Appendix B for the exact wording of survey questions. Students were asked whether anyone had attempted (tried to) or completed (did) certain acts at any time since the start of their degree programs. All results that follow represent the prevalence among survey respondents of each act, meaning the proportion of people who indicated experiencing the act at least once. The survey did not seek to measure the total number of unique incidents experienced by any respondent or in the population as a whole. 18 See https://www.notalone.gov/assets/ovw-climate-survey.pdf. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 20 Table 14 shows the number and percentage of respondents indicating that they had experienced an act at least once since the start of their degree program.19 For each act, the first row shows the number indicating that they had experienced a completed act. The second row shows the number and percentage reporting that someone had attempted that act, excluding respondents already counted in the 'completed act' row. That is, if a student indicated both that someone completed an act and that someone attempted the same act, that student is represented only once, in the completed row. Respondents experiencing multiple kinds of acts are included in multiple rows; percentages therefore cannot be totaled across the different types of nonconsensual sexual contact. Table 14: Nonconsensual Sexual Contact: Number and Percent Experiencing Each Act UG Grad UG women UG men gender women diverse Number of survey respondents 2,152 2,351 91 1,830 Kissed without consent 477 (22.2%) 239 (10.2%) 22 (24.2%) 133 (7.3%) (completed) Kissed without consent 323 (15.0%) 107 (4.6%) 6 (6.6%) 92 (5.0%) (attempted but not completed) Sexual touching without consent 745 (34.6%) 29 (12.4%) 32 (35.2%) 201 (11.0%) (completed) Sexual touching without consent 230 (10.7%) 85 (3.6%) 7 (7.7%) 57 (3.1%) (attempted but not completed) Clothes removed without consent 176 (8.2%) 55 (2.3%) 6 (6.6%) 51 (2.8%) (completed) Clothes removed without consent 122 (5.7%) 35 (1.5%) 8 (8.8%) 26 (1.4%) (attempted but not completed) Penetration without consent 162 (7.5%) 18 (0.8%) 4 (4.4%) 52 (2.8%) (completed) Penetration without consent 95 (4.4%) 9 (0.4%) 6 (6.6%) 16 (0.9%) (attempted but not completed) Oral sex without consent 73 (3.4%) 34 (1.5%) * 21 (1.2%) (completed) Oral sex without consent 61 (2.8%) 10 (0.4%) * 13 (0.7%) (attempted but not completed) Made to penetrate without consent 15 (0.7%) 26 (1.1%) 4 (4.4%) 9 (0.5%) (completed) Made to penetrate without consent 16 (0.7%) 13 (0.6%) * * (attempted but not completed) 2,580 Grad gender diverse 63 51 (2.0%) 4 (6.4%) 34 (1.3%) * 79 (3.1%) 5 (7.9%) 29 (1.1%) 5 (7.9%) 16 (0.6%) * 15 (0.6%) * 5 (0.2%) * 4 (0.2%) * 8 (0.3%) * 5 (0.2%) * 6 (0.2%) * * * Grad men Following the questions about nonconsensual sexual contact, those students indicating that they had experienced one or more acts were asked questions about the means by which those acts were 19 For undergraduates, the wording of the question was Have you experienced any of the following, without your consent, since you came to Stanford? For graduate students, the wording was Have you experienced any of the following, without your consent, since you started graduate school at Stanford? Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 21 accomplished. Answers to these questions were then categorized according to Stanford’s definitions of types of Prohibited Sexual Conduct found in Administrative Guide 1.7.3.20 Stanford’s definition of sexual assault is based on California’s criminal rape and sexual offense statutes.21 This categorization was done solely for the purpose of analyzing the data in a manner that would yield information about the prevalence among respondents of Prohibited Sexual Conduct, as defined by university policy. These categorizations may not align with an individual’s own label for an experience. In the following sections, respondents are included in the most serious type of Prohibited Sexual Conduct they indicated experiencing. For example, a respondent categorized as experiencing sexual assault would not also be included in the number categorized as experiencing sexual misconduct, even if that student indicated that they had experienced behaviors that would fall within both categories. The survey questions and responses do not allow a distinction to be drawn between a respondent who experienced multiple acts as part of the same incident and a respondent who experienced multiple incidents.22 Accordingly, the results below should be interpreted as representing the most serious type of incident experienced by each respondent, not the total number of incidents. For a complete description of the wording of survey questions and how survey responses were categorized, please see Appendix A. Sexual Assault Survey responses were included in the category of sexual assault when respondents indicated experiencing penetration23 without consent and/or oral sex without consent and when the respondent indicated that the act (or attempted act) was accomplished through threat of violence, force, and/or when the respondent was incapacitated. Both completed and attempted acts were included. Overall, 1.9% of all survey respondents indicated having experiences categorized as sexual assault since starting their degree programs at Stanford. Table 15 provides the prevalence among survey respondents of sexual assault by degree level and gender. Table 15: Number and Percent of Respondents Indicating Experiences of Sexual Assault by Degree Level and Gender N experiencing assault / N in category (%) Undergraduate women 100 / 2,152 (4.7%) Undergraduate men 14 / 2,351 (0.6%) Undergraduate gender diverse 6 / 91 (6.6%) Graduate women 37 / 1,830 (2.0%) Graduate men 8 / 2,580 (0.3%) Graduate gender diverse * 20 https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapter-1/subchapter-7/policy-1-7-3. The definitions of sexual assault used here and in California statutes differ from those used by the federal government in the Clery Act. 22 Following best practices from sexual violence research, the questionnaire was designed to reduce the length and difficulty of responding for survivors of sexual assault, and so did not ask respondents to itemize each incident separately. 23 For the remainder of the report, the term ‘penetration’ will be used to refer both to incidents where the respondent was penetrated without consent and to incidents where the respondent was made to penetrate someone else without consent. 21 Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 22 Among undergraduate survey respondents, the rates of sexual assault for gender-diverse respondents (6.6%) and for women (4.7%) were higher than the rate for men (0.6%). Among graduate students responding to the survey, the prevalence of sexual assault was higher for women (2%) than for men (0.3%). The prevalence of sexual assault among gender-diverse graduate respondents is not reported here to protect respondents’ privacy. An additional 56 respondents, half of whom were undergraduate women, indicated experiencing nonconsensual penetration, nonconsensual oral sex, and/or being made to penetrate someone else but gave answers to the question about tactics that were indeterminate as to whether the act was accomplished through force, threat of violence, or incapacitation, by selecting I don’t know/I have no recollection or other method not described above when asked how the act was accomplished. If these respondents were categorized as experiencing sexual assault, it would increase the rates above by 1.3% for undergraduate women, by 1.1% for gender-diverse undergraduates, and by less than 1% for undergraduate men, graduate women, and graduate men. The prevalence of sexual assault varied among survey respondents of different racial and ethnic identities.24 Caution must be exercised when comparing rates of sexual assault across race and ethnicity categories for two reasons. First, students of different racial and ethnic identities responded to the survey at different rates; comparisons of prevalence rates across groups may be affected by nonresponse bias. American Indian/Alaska Native students and Black/African American students responded to the survey at lower than overall rates, while students with two or more race/ethnic identities responded to the survey at higher than overall rates. The second concern about reporting sexual assault results by race/ethnicity is that for groups with few students in them, rates are based on the experiences of a very small number of individuals, posing privacy concerns. For these reasons, prevalence of sexual assault by racial/ethnic identity is not reported here for graduate students or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander undergraduates. Among undergraduates, the prevalence of sexual assault for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents (4.4%), Black/African American respondents (4.7%), and respondents who identified as mixed race (4%) are higher than the overall prevalence rate among undergraduates of 2.6%. The prevalence of sexual assault also varied among survey respondents of different self-reported sexual orientations. Respondents were able to select multiple sexual orientations; the following numbers include respondents in each category selected.25 Respondents identifying as heterosexual/straight had a sexual assault prevalence rate of 1.6%, compared to a prevalence rate of 3.9% among respondents who did not identify as heterosexual/straight. The prevalence rates for bisexual respondents (6.3%), asexual respondents (5.7%), questioning respondents (4.5%), and queer respondents (3.8%) were higher than the overall rate. Men who identified as gay had a higher prevalence rate (1.4%) compared to men who 24 On the survey, race/ethnicity was in a check-all-that-apply format, where respondents could select multiple identities. In this analysis, respondents selecting multiple identities are included in each group with which they identify. 25 Respondents could also decline to answer the question about sexual orientation. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 23 did not identify as gay (0.4%). Gender-diverse respondents identifying as gay had a higher prevalence rate while women respondents identifying as gay and/or lesbian had lower prevalence rates.26 Among undergraduate women,27 the risk of sexual assault appears to be somewhat higher in freshman and sophomore years, although the design of this study limits the ability to make precise inferences about risk by class year. Respondents were asked about any incidents of nonconsensual sexual contact that occurred at any time since they came to Stanford, meaning that the time period being asked about depended on how long a student had been at Stanford. If risk were evenly distributed throughout the undergraduate years, the prevalence rate among seniors would be nearly four times higher than the rate among freshmen. Of respondents in the survey, 2% of undergraduate women in their first year indicated that they had experienced sexual assault since coming to Stanford, compared to 4.1% of second-year undergraduate women, 5.3% of third-year undergraduate women, and 6.5% of fourth-year undergraduate women.28 Nearly three-fourths (72%) of people whose responses were categorized as sexual assault indicated that the act was accomplished by a person or persons taking advantage of you when you were drunk or high. Sexual Misconduct Following the definition of sexual misconduct provided in Administrative Guide 1.7.3,29 survey respondents were included in the category of sexual misconduct when they indicated experiencing penetration without consent and/or oral sex without consent when force, threat of violence, or incapacitation were not indicated. Both completed and attempted acts were included. Survey respondents were also included in the sexual misconduct category when they experienced completed acts of sexual touching without consent or some completed acts of clothing removal without consent. Sexual touching includes incidents when someone touched, fondled, or rubbed up against the intimate body part of another (a woman’s breast, or any person’s groin area or buttocks). 30 In addition to respondents who indicated experiencing sexual assault reported above, another 14.2% of survey respondents indicated having experiences included in the category of sexual misconduct since starting their degree programs at Stanford.31 Sexual misconduct is a category that includes a wide range of behaviors. One-fifth (256) of the 14.2% of survey respondents whose answers were categorized as sexual misconduct indicated experiencing nonconsensual penetration and/or nonconsensual oral sex. 26 Exact rates for the last three groups are not listed to protect the privacy of respondents. Rates are also not listed for those who selected I prefer another term or decline to state on the sexual orientation question, in order to protect respondents’ privacy. 27 Numbers of men and gender-diverse undergraduate respondents experiencing sexual assault are too low to disaggregate meaningfully by class year. 28 If risk were evenly distributed across the four years, based on the observed first-year rate of 2%, the rate among fourth-year women would be expected to be 7.8%. The 7.8% figure represents an additional 2% of undergraduate women each year who had not previously been assaulted having experienced sexual assault in their second through fourth years. 29 https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapter-1/subchapter-7/policy-1-7-3. 30 Please see Appendix A for further details on how nonconsensual acts were categorized. 31 Respondents included in counts and percentages for sexual assault are not included in the counts or percentages reported below for sexual misconduct; respondents experiencing acts that could be categorized as both sexual assault and sexual misconduct are counted in the sexual assault section only. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 24 Over four-fifths of respondents in the sexual misconduct category experienced nonconsensual touching or nonconsensual clothing removal.   Undergraduate women had the highest rate of experiencing sexual misconduct (707 respondents, 32.9%) followed by gender-diverse undergraduates (28, 30.8%), male undergraduates (289, 12.3%), graduate women (184, 10.1%), and graduate men (79, 3.1%).32 Risk for sexual misconduct for undergraduate women appears to be concentrated in the first and second years. For women undergraduates, the prevalence of experiencing sexual misconduct since starting at Stanford among first-years was 22.3%, compared to 33.6% among second-years, 38.7% among third-years, and 36.8% among fourth-years. Among respondents indicating an experience of sexual misconduct involving nonconsensual penetration and/or oral sex, 67.4% indicated that the act was accomplished by a person or person(s) taking advantage of you when you were drunk or high. Among respondents indicating an experience of sexual misconduct from nonconsensual sexual touching and/or clothing removal, 49.3% indicated that the act was accomplished by a person or persons taking advantage of you when you were drunk or high. Other Acts of Nonconsensual Contact Respondents were asked about other acts of nonconsensual contact, including: attempted but not completed acts of sexual touching without consent; attempted and some completed acts of clothing removal without consent;33 and completed or attempted kissing without consent. These acts would not typically be considered sexual misconduct according to Stanford policy, but may constitute sexual harassment in some circumstances.34 In addition to respondents indicating experiences of sexual assault or misconduct above, another 8.3% reported one or more of these other acts since starting their degree programs at Stanford. This includes 345 (16%) of the undergraduate women, 195 (8.3%) of the undergraduate men, 7 (7.7%) of the gender-diverse undergraduates, 134 (7.3%) of the graduate women, 67 (2.6%) of the graduate men, and 6 (9.5%) of the gender-diverse graduate respondents. Depending on the circumstances, some of these acts would constitute sexual harassment if: a. It is implicitly or explicitly suggested that submission to or rejection of the conduct will be a factor in academic or employment decisions or evaluations, or permission to participate in a university activity, OR b. The conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's academic or work performance or creating an intimidating or hostile academic, work, or student living environment.35 32 Results for gender-diverse graduate respondents are not included to protect respondents’ privacy. Please see Appendix A for further details on how nonconsensual acts were categorized. 34 Kissing of an intimate body part (a woman’s breast, or any person’s groin area or buttocks) would be considered to be sexual misconduct under Stanford’s policies. Other forms of unwanted kissing may constitute sexual harassment when pervasive, when they create a hostile climate, and/or when submission to the conduct plays a role in educational or employment decisions. 35 See full text of Administrative Guide 1.7.1 'Sexual Harassment' at https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapter1/subchapter-7/policy-1-7-1. 33 Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 25 Context and Reporting of Incidents of Nonconsensual Sexual Contact Following questions about nonconsensual sexual acts and the means by which they were accomplished, those respondents who indicated that they had experienced one or more such acts were asked a series of questions about the context of the incident and whether they reported the incident. Respondents were asked to answer the questions about the most recent experience they had and they were not asked to specify the nature of that experience.36 Accordingly, the results below reflect responses from people experiencing all types of nonconsensual acts, and cannot be disaggregated into responses by those experiencing any particular type. Among respondents experiencing a nonconsensual sexual act, 70.7% indicated that the most recent incident occurred in a residential building/dorm on campus, and another 10.4% indicated that the most recent incident occurred in a non-residential building on campus. Somewhat more than a tenth of respondents (13.5%) said that the most recent incident occurred off-campus, and 4.6% chose other when asked about the location. There was no indication that students are especially at risk on study abroad, research trips, or field work abroad. Among 2,268 respondents who experienced at least one nonconsensual act, eight indicated that the most recent experience was at a conference, six indicated that the most recent experience was on a research trip, and 16 indicated that the most recent experience was on a study abroad trip. Among respondents who experienced nonconsensual sexual contact, 78.4% indicated that the person(s) responsible were male, 23.4% indicated that the person(s) responsible were female, 0.6% indicated that the person(s) responsible were of gender-diverse identities, and 0.8% indicated that they did not know the gender of the person(s) responsible.37 Most respondents who experienced nonconsensual contact (84.9%) indicated that the person(s) responsible for their most recent incident of nonconsensual sexual contact were Stanford students. Four out of ten respondents who experienced nonconsensual contact (41%) indicated that they did not have a prior relationship with the person(s) responsible for their most recent incident of nonconsensual sexual contact. Respondents were asked whether they had formally reported their experience to the university.38 Overall, 2.7% of respondents experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact reported their most recent incident to the university. While incidences of sexual assault cannot be isolated precisely, it appears that respondents were more likely to report an incident of sexual assault to the university than incidents of sexual misconduct or other nonconsensual contact. Among those whose responses were categorized as sexual assault, 12.5% indicated that they reported their most recent experience of nonconsensual contact to the university. 36 The questions were designed this way to minimize the length and difficulty of the survey for survivors of sexual assault and misconduct. 37 Numbers total more than 100% because respondents were asked to check all relevant genders of the person or persons responsible. 38 In the survey question, reporting was defined as telling someone in an official capacity, either with the expectation that action would follow or that your report would be kept on an official record. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 26 When asked whether they shared typical concerns about reporting nonconsensual sexual contact to the university, the most commonly selected concerns were as follows (numbers reflect the percentage of respondents selecting each concern): Did not think it was serious enough to share (84.7%) Not clear that harm was intended (70.5%) Did not want any action to be taken (i.e., arrests, legal charges, disciplinary action) (54.9%) Felt that I was at least partly at fault or it wasn’t totally the other person’s fault (50.8%) Felt embarrassed or ashamed, didn’t want anyone to know what happened (34.5%) Stanford’s Response to Reports of Sexual Assault In order to understand students’ perceptions of the adequacy and fairness of Stanford’s response to reports of sexual assault, students were asked a series of questions that began: If someone were to report a sexual assault to a campus authority, how likely is it that…? Most respondents are confident that Stanford would take any reports of sexual assault seriously, with 87% of all respondents rating it moderately likely or very likely. Responses to this question were similar for graduates and undergraduates. Table 16: Stanford Would Take Any Reports of Sexual Assault Seriously Women Men Gender diverse Very likely 1,761 (46%) 2,993 (62%) 55 (42%) Moderately likely 1,446 (37%) 1,320 (28%) 30 (23%) A little likely 525 (14%) 403 (8%) 27 (20%) Not at all likely 126 (3%) 81 (2%) 20 (15%) Total 3,858 (100%) 4,797 (100%) 132 (100%) Total 4,809 (55%) 2,796 (32%) 955 (11%) 227 (3%) 8,787 (100%) Four-fifths of respondents (80%) felt it was moderately or very likely that Stanford would assist a person making a report in contacting local law enforcement. Responses to this question were similar for graduates and undergraduates. Table 17: Stanford Would Assist the Person in Contacting Local Law Enforcement Women Men Gender diverse Very likely 1,416 (37%) 2,496 (52%) 32 (24%) Moderately likely 1,510 (39%) 1,531 (32%) 51 (38%) A little likely 711 (18%) 574 (12%) 30 (23%) Not at all likely 215 (6%) 179 (4%) 20 (15%) Total 3,852 (100%) 4,780 (100%) 133 (100%) Total 3,944 (45%) 3,092 (35%) 1,315 (15%) 414 (5%) 8,765 (100%) Over two-thirds of respondents (71%) felt that Stanford would treat someone accused of sexual assault fairly. Less than 10% felt that it was not at all likely that someone accused of sexual assault would receive fair treatment. Graduate respondents thought it more likely than undergraduates that Stanford Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 27 would treat an accused person fairly; responses were not substantially different among respondents with different gender identities. Table 18: Stanford Would Treat Someone Accused of Sexual Assault Fairly Undergraduate respondents Graduate respondents Very likely 1,095 (25%) 1,549 (36%) Moderately likely 1,834 (41%) 1,766 (41%) A little likely 982 (22%) 719 (17%) Not at all likely 519 (12%) 288 (7%) Total 4,430 (100%) 4,322 (100%) All respondents 2,644 (30%) 3,600 (41%) 1,701 (19%) 807 (9%) 8,752 (100%) Three-quarters of all respondents felt it likely (either very or moderately) that Stanford would hold accountable someone found responsible for sexual assault. Responses to this question differed both by degree level and by gender. At both degree levels, men thought it more likely than women or genderdiverse respondents that Stanford would hold a responsible individual accountable. Graduate respondents thought it more likely than undergraduates that Stanford would hold a responsible individual accountable. Table 19: Stanford Would Hold Accountable Someone Found Responsible for a Sexual Assault UG gender Grad gender All UG women UG men Grad women Grad men diverse diverse respondents 576 (28%) 1,029 (45%) 16 (20%) 608 (34%) 1,333 (53%) 16 (31%) 3,578 (41%) Very likely Moderately 747 (36%) 774 (34%) 14 (17%) 654 (37%) 766 (31%) 14 (27%) 2,969 (34%) likely 471 (23%) 346 (15%) 25 (31%) 376 (21%) 302 (12%) 15 (29%) 1,535 (18%) A little likely 268 (13%) 124 (5%) 26 (32%) 134 (8%) 106 (4%) 7 (13%) 665 (8%) Not at all likely Total 2,062 (100%) 2,273 (100%) 81 (100%) 1,772 (100%) 2,507 (100%) 52 (100%) 8,747 (100%) Stalking Stalking is a form of Prohibited Sexual Conduct, defined by Stanford’s Administrative Guide 1.7.339 as follows: Stalking is the repeated following, watching or harassing of a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to (a) fear for his or her safety or the safety of others, or (b) suffer substantial emotional distress. The Stanford Campus Climate Survey asked respondents four questions to gauge the prevalence of stalking behaviors. A total of 1,005 survey respondents (11%) indicated they had experienced one or more of the stalking behaviors described in the survey. Table 20, below, displays responses to questions about stalking by gender. Gender-diverse respondents indicated they had experienced each of the four types of stalking behaviors at the highest rates, followed by women, with men having the lowest rates. The most commonly experienced stalking behavior, experienced by 535 (6%) of all survey respondents, 39 https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapter-1/subchapter-7/policy-1-7-3#anchor-24469. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 28 was receiving persistent phone calls, emails, letters, text messages or instant messages from someone after you asked them to stop contacting you. Of respondents who experienced one or more stalking behaviors, 11% reported the experience to the university. Table 20: Stalking Since You Came to Stanford [Undergraduate]/ Since You Started Graduate School at Stanford [Graduate], Have You Experienced Any of the Following? Women Men Gender diverse All respondents Received persistent phone calls, emails, letters, text messages or instant messages from someone after you asked them to stop contacting you? Yes 368 (9%) 148 (3%) 19 (14%) 535 (6%) Unsure 105 (3%) 63 (1%) 6 (4%) 174 (2%) No 3,457 (88%) 4,648 (96%) 110 (81%) 8,215 (92%) Total 3,930 (100%) 4,859 (100%) 135 (100%) 8,924 (100%) Were watched from afar or were followed by someone? Yes 325 (8%) 71 (1%) 18 (13%) 414 (5%) Unsure 507 (13%) 307 (6%) 28 (21%) 842 (9%) No 3,102 (79%) 4,483 (92%) 88 (66%) 7,673 (86%) Total 3,934 (100%) 4,861 (100%) 134 (100%) 8,929 (100%) Had someone waiting for you at your residence, place of employment, classroom, or somewhere else after you asked them to stop contacting you? Yes 107 (3%) 46 (1%) 5 (4%) 158 (2%) Unsure 52 (1%) 32 (1%) * 87 (1%) No 3,768 (96%) 4,775 (98%) 126 (94%) 8,669 (97%) Total 3,927 (100%) 4,853 (100%) 134 (100%) 8,914 (100%) Had negative or personal things written about you online that made you feel unsafe? Yes 116 (3%) 114 (2%) 13 (10%) 243 (3%) Unsure 73 (2%) 79 (2%) 5 (4%) 157 (2%) No 3,734 (95%) 4,661 (96%) 117 (87%) 8,512 (96%) Total 3,923 (100%) 4,854 (100%) 135 (100%) 8,912 (100%) Have you ever told anyone at Stanford in an official capacity about any of the incidents above, with the expectation that action would follow or that your report would be kept on an official record? Note: Only respondents who answered yes to one or more of the previous four questions were shown this follow-up question. Yes 82 (12%) 28 (10%) 4 (10%) 114 (11%) No 595 (88%) 258 (90%) 36 (90%) 889 (89%) Total 677 (100%) 286 (100%) 40 (100%) 1,003 (100%) Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 29 Relationship Violence Relationship violence is Prohibited Sexual Conduct at Stanford, defined by Administrative Guide 1.7.340 as follows: Relationship violence, including dating and domestic violence, is physical violence relating to a current or former romantic or intimate relationship regardless of the length of the relationship or gender/gender identity of the individuals in the relationship, including conduct that would cause a reasonable person to be fearful for his or her safety. Survey respondents were first asked if they had had an intimate or romantic relationship or encounter since coming to Stanford. Those who responded in the affirmative were then shown questions asking how frequently they had experienced four forms of relationship violence. Table 21, below, shows the number and percent of respondents who indicated that they had each experience once or more since starting their degree program at Stanford. Among survey respondents who had been physically or romantically intimate with someone since coming to Stanford, 484 (5.3%) indicated they had experienced one or more types of relationship violence since the beginning of their degree programs at Stanford. Five percent of survey respondents (451) indicated that they had experienced the least severe type of violence by a relationship/intimate partner at least once since coming to Stanford (being scratched, fingers bent, arm twisted, bit, pushed, grabbed and/or shoved). Less than 1% of respondents experienced the most severe types of relationship violence. A slightly higher proportion of undergraduate respondents (6.5%) than graduate respondents (4.3%) indicated on the survey that they had experienced one or more types of relationship violence. Table 21 displays the rates of each type of relationship violence by gender. Table 21: Relationship Violence by Degree Level and Gender How often has a casual, steady, or serious dating/intimate partner or spouse done the following to you against your will since you came to Stanford [undergraduate]/since you started graduate school at Stanford [graduate]? Women Men Gender diverse Total Number of Students Shown These Questions 3,929 4,862 135 Scratched, bent your fingers, slapped, twisted your 190 (4.9%) 252 (5.2%) 9 (6.7%) arm, bit, pushed, grabbed and/or shoved you? Kicked you, burned you, hit you with a fist, thrown 44 (1.1%) 78 (1.6%) * items that hit you and/or slammed you against a wall? Choked or strangled you 32 (0.8%) 33 (0.7%) * Beaten you, hit you with a hard object, or assaulted 10 (0.3%) 17 (0.4%) * you with a gun, knife or other weapon? 40 https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapter-1/subchapter-7/policy-1-7-3#anchor-24471. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 30 Respondents indicating that they had experienced one or more of the types of relationship violence in Table 21 above were asked follow-up questions about the most serious incident they experienced.   When asked whether they had been injured in the incident, 42 of 482 respondents said ‘yes’ (8.7% of those who experienced relationship violence). When asked whether the respondent had sought support services or contacted a hotline after the incident, 27 of 481 respondents said ‘yes’ (5.6% of those who experienced relationship violence). Education and Prevention Training In the summer of 2014, Provost John Etchemendy appointed a task force on sexual assault, which included eighteen faculty, students, and staff members. In April 2015, the task force released its report. Among its recommendations was a call for additional university effort to prevent sexual violence and educate members of the Stanford community. The report emphasized two primary needs: First, our community must be fully informed about university processes, resources, and responses to acts of sexual violence. Meeting this goal requires that the university provide sufficient training so that everyone has all relevant information about whom to turn to, for what reason, and when. Second, our community must fundamentally understand what sexual violence is, why it is perpetrated, and how to prevent it. Meeting this goal requires students, faculty, and staff to work together to shape our campus culture.41 The final section of the Stanford Campus Climate Survey asked students both about their perceptions of training on these topics and about their knowledge of key concepts and resources. These questions were intended to provide a benchmark against which to measure Stanford’s progress as it works to meet the goals outlined by the task force. Starting in autumn quarter 2014, entering freshmen42 were provided enhanced training on topics of Prohibited Sexual Conduct, both online and in person. That entering cohort (first-year undergraduate survey respondents) indicated on the survey that they had had more adequate training and had more knowledge than their second-, third-, and fourth-year counterparts. The following paragraphs highlight those survey questions where differences between the first-year cohort and earlier cohorts are most pronounced. Overall, these results suggest that the increased educational efforts provided to the most recent freshman cohort have resulted in stronger self-reported knowledge and understanding about Prohibited Sexual Conduct by students. Over two-thirds (68%) of undergraduate respondents felt they had adequate or better education about preventing sexual assault, as shown below in Table 22. By contrast, the most common response from graduate respondents to the question about sexual assault prevention education was that they had received no education (44%). Less than half of graduate respondents (43%) indicated that they had received adequate or better education in preventing sexual assault. New online training was made 41 https://notalone.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/provost_task_force_report.pdf. Entering transfer students were also provided this training, but transfer students cannot be distinguished from other second-, third-, and fourth-year students in this analysis. 42 Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 31 available to graduate students after the launch of the Stanford Campus Climate Survey; it is possible that graduate students’ perceptions of education about preventing sexual assault would be higher had the survey been administered at a later date. Among undergraduates, 90% of first-year respondents rated their education on preventing sexual assault as adequate or better, compared to 69% of second-year respondents, 65% of third-year respondents, and 50% of fourth-year respondents. Table 22: How thorough was the education you have received from Stanford in the following areas? Preventing Sexual Assault Undergraduate Graduate All respondents respondents respondents No education 393 (9%) 1,931 (44%) 2,324 (26%) Insufficient education 1,052 (23%) 611 (14%) 1,663 (19%) Adequate education 1,796 (40%) 1,436 (33%) 3,232 (36%) Thorough education 877 (20%) 263 (6%) 1,140 (13%) Extensive education 377 (8%) 154 (4%) 531 (6%) Total 4,495 (100%) 4,395 (100%) 8,890 (100%) When asked about the thoroughness of education regarding sexual harassment prevention, graduate respondents indicated receiving somewhat more adequate education than they did for sexual assault. This may be a reflection of sexual harassment training for teaching assistants and supervisors. Almost half of graduate respondents, 49%, felt they had received adequate or better sexual harassment prevention training. Among undergraduates, first-years rated their education on preventing sexual harassment as adequate or better at the highest rates (84%), compared to 63% for second-years, 60% for third-years, and 47% for fourth-years. Table 23: How thorough was the education you have received from Stanford in the following areas? Preventing Sexual Harassment Undergraduate Graduate All respondents respondents respondents No education 452 (10%) 1,517 (35%) 1,969 (22%) Insufficient education 1,207 (27%) 740 (17%) 1,947 (22%) Adequate education 1,631 (36%) 1,489 (34%) 3,120 (35%) Thorough education 826 (18%) 425 (10%) 1,251 (14%) Extensive education 360 (8%) 214 (5%) 574 (6%) Total 4,476 (100%) 4,385 (100%) 8,861 (100%) The Report of the Provost’s Task Force on Sexual Assault Policies and Practices, cited above, states that all community members should understand what sexual violence is, in addition to being educated about Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 32 how to prevent it. Table 24, below, shows the proportion of respondents at each degree level who indicated that they understand each Prohibited Sexual Conduct concept well, by selecting the response I understand well.43 Undergraduates report a stronger understanding of the four key concepts (consent, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct) than graduate respondents. Among both graduates and undergraduates, respondents reported the strongest understanding of consent, followed by sexual assault, then sexual harassment, and finally less than half of respondents felt that they understood the meaning of sexual misconduct well. Here, again, first-year undergraduates self-reported stronger understanding than their second- through fourth-year counterparts. For each of the four concepts listed in Table 24, the proportion of first-year undergraduate respondents answering that they understand the concept well was 13 to 14 percentage points higher than the overall rate for undergraduates. Table 24: How Well Do You Understand Stanford's Definition of the Following Terms? Number responding I understand well/ total responding to the question (Percent responding I understand well) Undergraduate respondents Graduate respondents Consent 3,385 / 4,488 (75%) 2,411 / 4,399 (55%) Sexual assault 2,772 / 4,479 (62%) 2,303 / 4,388 (52%) Sexual harassment 2,449 / 4,482 (55%) 2,167 / 4,394 (49%) Sexual misconduct 1,987 / 4,478 (44%) 1,789 / 4,391 (41%) All respondents 5,796 / 8,887 (65%) 5,075 / 8,867 (57%) 4,616 / 8,876 (52%) 3,776 / 8,869 (43%) As seen in Figure 5, below, respondents showed a very wide range of opinions about their understanding of the university’s process for addressing reports of unlawful discrimination and sexual misconduct. Among first-year undergraduates, 53% agreed or strongly agreed that they understood the university’s process for addressing reports of unlawful discrimination and sexual misconduct, compared to an overall rate among undergraduates of 35%. Figure 5 I Understand the University’s Processes for Addressing Reports of Unlawful Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Graduate respondents (4,390) 9% 27% 29% Undergraduate respondents (4,478) 8% 29% 27% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Agree Strongly agree 27% 8% 27% 60% 70% 80% 9% 90% 100% Percent of Respondents 43 Concepts are presented in order of respondents’ self-reported understanding, not in the questionnaire order. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 33 Figure 6, below, shows that majorities of respondents at both undergraduate and graduate levels reported that if they needed to seek confidential help after unwanted sexual contact or harassment, they would know how to do so. Figure 6 If I Needed to Seek Confidential Help for Myself or a Friend Following Unwanted Sexual Contact or Harassment, I Would Know How to Get That Help Strongly disagree Disagree Graduate respondents (4,382) 5% Undergraduate respondents (4,465) 4% 0% Neither agree nor disagree 22% 22% 19% 10% Agree 40% 20% 20% 30% Strongly agree 10% 42% 40% 50% 60% 15% 70% 80% 90% 100% Percent of Respondents Forty-three percent of undergraduates and 37% of graduate respondents indicated that they would know who to contact if they needed to report a sexual assault to the university. Figure 7 If I Needed to Report a Sexual Assault to the University, I Would Know Who to Contact Strongly disagree Disagree Graduate respondents (4,374) 7% Undergraduate respondents (4,459) 6% 0% Neither agree nor disagree 29% 20% Strongly agree 26% 27% 10% Agree 30% 23% 30% 40% 34% 50% 60% 70% 7% 10% 80% 90% 100% Percent of Respondents Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 34 Use of the Findings and Next Steps The results of this survey underscore the call by the Provost’s Task Force on Sexual Assault Policies and Practices for enhanced education and prevention efforts in the area of Prohibited Sexual Conduct. Further analyses of survey results will be conducted to inform the work of university offices and leadership as Stanford strives to provide all students a safe environment in which they can learn and be successful. While this report has focused primarily on issues surrounding Prohibited Sexual Conduct, future analyses of these data are planned to better understand students’ sense of community and campus climate along demographic and academic dimensions, such as racial and ethnic background, sexual orientation, undergraduate major, and graduate degree program. These results will guide Stanford initiatives to promote a culture of respect and open dialogue among all members of the community. Stanford University Campus Climate Survey Report 35