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University of Massachusetts Amherst
SARIS - Student Affairs Research, Information and Systems
Undergraduate Sexual Harassment Survey (S98-C)
On Tuesday, February 24, 1998, Project Pulse conducted a telephone survey investigating sexual harassment of female undergraduates at UMass. Similar surveys were conducted in March of 1992 and February of 1995. Comparative data from all three surveys is included in this report. In the latest survey, Pulse interviewers attempted to contact 831 women who were randomly selected from the entire female undergraduate population in the University’s database. Of these, 525 were successfully contacted and 431 (82.1%) agreed to be interviewed. Table 1 displays the final disposition of the sample and Table 2 provides a demographic summary of the respondents. The response rate for the survey was 51.9%, and the sampling error is ±5 percentage points.
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Table 1: Final Disposition
of the Samples, 1992, 1995 and 1998
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1992
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1995
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1998
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|
N
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% of Total
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% of Contacted
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|
N
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% of Total
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% of Contacted
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|
N
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% of Total
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% of Contacted
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| Response rate (In & cooperated |
434
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49.8
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85.6
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417
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50.0
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86.9
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431
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51.9
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82.1
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| In, declined interview |
73
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8.4
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14.4
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63
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7.6
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13.1
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94
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11.3
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17.9
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| Not in |
364
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41.8
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354
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42.4
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306
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36.8
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| Totals |
*871
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100.0
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100.0
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**834
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100.0
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100.0
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***831
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100.0
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100.0
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* Excludes 237 sampled students with unobtainable
phone numbers. |
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Table 2: Demographic
Summary of the Respondents, 1992, 1995 and 1998
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1992
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1995
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1998
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N
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%
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|
N
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%
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|
N
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%
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| First-year |
108
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25.4
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121
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29.3
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144
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33.7
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| Sophomore |
90
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21.1
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102
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24.7
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101
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23.7
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| Junior |
118
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27.7
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101
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24.5
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80
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18.7
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| Senior |
97
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22.8
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80
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19.4
|
102
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23.9
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| 5th Year Senior |
13
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3.1
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8
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1.9
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--
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--
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| Average Age |
20.5 years
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20.3 years
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20.0 years |
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| Average Semesters at UMass |
4.4 semesters
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4.0 semesters
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4.0 semesters
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Nearly three-quarters of the women surveyed (69.5%, n= 301) said they are aware that UMass has a policy that specifically prohibits sexual harassment, but only 40.6% (n=175) said they are aware of the University’s Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure. Awareness of the Grievance Procedure increases with class year: 29.6% of first-year students, 37.6% of sophomores, 47.5% of juniors and 52.0% of seniors were aware of this procedure (c² = 14.58, p = .0022).
Nearly four-fifths of the respondents said they are “very” (18.4%, n=77) or “somewhat” (59.4%, n=249) confident in the University’s ability to respond effectively to specific incidents of sexual harassment. The proportion of students who expressed confidence increased by ten percentage points from 1992 to 1998 (67.1% to 77.8% - see Figure 1).
Students were asked how often they have seen or heard various specific kinds of harassing behaviors or comments from instructors, staff members, or other students at UMass. Most of the respondents have heard women stereotyped or “put down” as a group: nearly all of the women surveyed (90.1%, n=390) reported hearing such remarks from other students, while 48.8% (n=211) have heard them from course instructors, and 39.6% (n=171) from University staff members. The display of “photographs, pin-ups, calendars, and so on, that portray sexually explicit, offensive, or demeaning images of women” by other students had been experienced by 85.6% (n=370) of the respondents; such displays by instructors had been witnessed by 18.9% (n=82) of respondents, and by staff members, 13.6% (n=59).
A comparison of the 1992, 1995 and 1998 survey
results shows some statistically significant (p < .01) changes. The proportions
of undergraduate women who have experienced stereotyping behaviors from course
instructors (see Figure 2), and from University staff (see Figure 3) have decreased.
The proportion of women who have seen other students displaying demeaning images
of women has also decreased (see Figure 4).
Next, students were asked how often they have personally experienced certain harassing behaviors. “Sexual remarks about your clothing, body, or sexual activities” by course instructors has been experienced by 9.2% (n=40) of the women surveyed; 7.4% (n=32) have received such comments from university staff members. Also, 5.8% of respondents (n=25) reported that course instructors have made them “feel tense and/or uncomfortable by subtle pressure for sexual activity,” and 4.4% (n=19) said they have had that experience with university staff. Unwanted physical contact was most likely to be initiated by other students. Over one-half of the women surveyed (57.2%, n=247) have experienced unwanted contact from other students, while 5.8% (n=25) have experienced it from course instructors, and 4.2% (n=18) have experienced it from university staff. Approximately one-half (51.9%, n=224) reported “explicit, unwanted sexual advances” from other students, while 2.1% (n=9) said they have received such advances from course instructors, and 2.5% (n=11) from university staff members. Five women (1.4%) reported that course instructors have asked them “for sexual favors in return for grades or letters or recommendation, ” and 23.1%(n=100) of the respondents said that oither students have asked them “for sexual favors in return for other favors.”
A comparison incorporating the 1992, 1995, and 1998 survey results shows a significant decrease in the proportion of women who reported that University staff members have made sexual remarks about their clothing, body, or activities (see Figure 3). In addition, the proportions of women who reported experiencing unwanted physical contact, or unwanted, explicit sexual advances from other students have decreased (see Figure 4).
When asked if they had ever been "sexually harassed," specifically, 28.2% (n=121) of those surveyed said that they have been harassed by a student, 4.0% (n=17) said that they have been harassed by a University staff member, and 3.3% (n=14) said that they have been harassed by a course instructor. The proportion of women reporting that they had been sexually harassed by another student decreased significantly from 1992 to 1998(see Figure 4).
Respondents were asked how safe from sexual harassment or assault they feel in the tower library: 43.3% (n=181) said that they feet “very safe,” 44.7% (n=187) “somewhat safe,” 10.3% (n=43) “somewhat unsafe,” and 1.7% (n=7) “very unsafe.” There was no statistically significant change from 1995 (this question was not asked in 1992).
Respondents were asked where they would be most likely to report sexual harassment
incidents. By far the greatest proportion said that they would report harassment
to Everywoman’s Center (37.0%, n=160) or the UMass Police Department (28.7%,
n=121). When asked how likely they would be to report a sexual harassment incident,
39.3% said “very likely,” 38.1% said “somewhat likely,”
17.4% said “somewhat unlikely,” and 5.2% said “very unlikely.”
A comparison of the 1992, 1995 and 1998 survey results shows that Everywoman’s Center and the UMass Police have remained the most likely recipients of reports of sexual harassment (see Figure 5). Similarly, the proportion of students who said they would be likely to report an incident of harassment if it happened to them has remained essentially stable over time (see Figure 6).
Discussion
The overall pattern that emerges from a comparison of the 1992, 1995 and 1998
sexual harassment survey data is one of modest decreases in the prevalence of
sexually harassing behaviors, particularly in the peer-to-peer context. The
specific behaviors that the data suggest have decreased in prevalence over time
are as follows: female stereotyping and put-down jokes by University course
instructors and staff members; sexual remarks made by staff about students'
physical appearance or sexual activities; the display of explicit or demeaning
images of women by students; unwanted physical contact by students; and explicit
unwanted sexual advances by students. Notably, the survey data evidence no significant
increases in the prevalence of any the harassing behaviors about which respondents
were questioned. While it is difficult to ascertain what factors contributed
to these trends, we speculate that increased awareness of sexual harassment
within American culture played a role. The Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings
in Fall 1991 and Paula Jones' current legal suit against President Clinton have
received extensive media coverage over the past eight years. Additionally, it
is possible that the Peer Sexual Harassment Education Program that was launched
on campus in Fall 1994 by the Office of Human Relations has begun to have a
modest impact on student behavior. Intensive evaluative research will be necessary
before any conclusion about the impact of this program can be confidently drawn.
Unfortunately, despite modest declines, the level of inappropriate behavior
among peers remains disturbingly high. For instance, in 1998, more than four-fifths
of the women surveyed said they had observed other students displaying sexually
explicit, offensive or demeaning images of women; nearly three-fifths reported
experiencing unwanted physical contact from other students; slightly more than
half reported having been the recipient of explicit, unwanted sexual advances
from students; and nearly one-quarter said that other students had asked them
for sexual favors in return for other favors. Perhaps most importantly, seven
times as many female students reported being sexually harassed by students than
reported being harassed by University course instructors or staff. These data
suggest a pressing need for widespread sexual harassment education among undergraduate
students.
Finally, it is important to note that more students reported experiencing specific harassing behaviors than described themselves as having been "sexually harassed," specifically. For example, although 38 women surveyed in 1998 reported having experienced course instructors making sexual remarks about their clothing, body or sexual activities, only 8 of these women reported having been "sexually harassed" by an instructor. Similarly, although 25 students reported having experienced course instructors making unwanted physical contact with them, only 7 of these students reported having been "sexually harassed" by a course instructor. These data suggest that the majority of students may not intepret these two specific behaviors as sexual harassment per se. In contrast, 6 of the 9 women who reported experiencing explicit, unwanted sexual advances from course instructors said they had been sexually harassed, as did 5 of the 6 women who said that course instructors had asked them for sexual favors in return for grades or letters of recommendation. These data suggest that these two particular behaviors, perhaps because they are so egregious, are interpreted by students as constituting sexual harassment. Once again, these survey data illustrate a need to educate undergraduates about what specific behaviors, under what conditions, constitute sexual harassment.
-- Meg Kluge and Elizabeth Williams
