Number of UMass sex harassment, misconduct complaints means people are more comfortable coming forward, advocate says

AMHERST -- Numbers matter, says Anne Hedgepeth, interim vice president of public policy and government relations for the American Association of University Women.

And while the number of reported cases of sexual harassment and abuse at the University of Massachusetts may not reflect the actual number of incidents, the data is still important to have.

"If you are talking reported incidents, that can be helpful," Hedgepeth said. The data, she said, shows "... the number of folks willing to come forward."

She added: "Even just reporting it is critical for the conversation. The numbers speak to the campus climate and whether people feel comfortable and safe to report."

For Jan. 1, 2013 until Dec. 13, 2017 UMass has reviewed 87 incidents of harassment or misconduct. The University of Connecticut, often thought of as a UMass peer institute, had 40 complaints over roughly the same time period.

The Enterprise in Brockton, meanwhile, reported last week that Bridgewater State University had no centralized system for tracking such complaints. The university has since said it would compile data and provide it to the newspaper.

The Republican requested the UMass data in the fall, following discussions on campus about a report about abuse, harassment and sexual misconduct issued by a group representing women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Rebecca Lockwood, associate director of the UMass Center for Women and the Community, estimates only about 10 to 30 percent of all cases are reported.

Hedgepeth suggested looking at numbers included in the Clery Report for a fuller picture. That report compiles statistics on various crimes including stalking, rape and fondling. In 2016, there were 20 rapes on and off campus, up from 17 and 10 the two previous years.

While the numbers might be surprising, the fact they're reported is a good thing, Hedgepeth said.

She said that in 2015, 89 percent of all institutions her group monitors reported zero rapes.

"That's a real red flag for us," she said.

Amy Becker, spokeswoman for the American Association of University Women, said those numbers "show that campuses that reported one type of sexual violence often disclosed reports of other types. This suggests that some schools have built the necessary systems to welcome and handle reports, support survivors, and disclose accurate statistics -- and others have not."

At UMass, there were four reports of stalking the last two years and six incidents of fondling, up from five and two the previous two years.

Those numbers are important too, Hedgepath said, because lesser abuse crimes can be "a precursor to sexual violence."

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In 2011, a White House initiative led by then-Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was created to guide schools, colleges and universities to better understand their obligations under federal civil rights laws to prevent and respond to the problem of campus sexual assault. That focus helped people feel more comfortable, Lockwood said.

It's unclear what might happen in light of changes initiated by the Donald Trump White House. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said the changes were to ensure all students were treated fairly.

And more recently, the #MeToo movement is also helping.

Still, Lockwood said the "stakes are pretty high for people to report, particularly in fields where they are so male dominated" like science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Women can feel like they will be penalized for rocking the boat. They might feel like they don't have many allies.

Lockwood doesn't feel the incidents or issues at UMass are different than at other institutions. She sees a genuine concern among university officials who are "committed to reviewing what's happening."

"I think it's a confluence of having some of the right people in leadership and having these incredible advocates," she said.

Because of that, Debora Ferreira, UMass executive director for equal opportunity and diversity, agrees. And because of that she expects to see the numbers of complaints rising before they drop.

People might think "an increase in numbers is not good thing," Ferreira said -- but, the opposite is true.

"People are feeling comfortable coming forward," she said. They understand the programs and processes UMass has in place to help.

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