“There Are Good and Bad Elements to It for Sure”: Students’ and Faculty/Staff’s Perceptions of the Title IX Mandated Reporting Policy

• Published in: Journal of interpersonal violence 2023-10, Vol.38 (19-20), p.10771-10794
• Main Authors: Johnson, Nicole L., Gutekunst, Malaïka H. C., Rocchino, Gabrielle H., Siepser, Claire Finn, Lipp, Natania S., DeSipio, Brooke E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: College campuses; College faculty; College students; Colleges & universities; Discrimination; Federal Legislation; Recruitment; Responses; Sex crimes; Sexual harassment; Students; Universities; Violence
• ISSN: 0886-2605; 1552-6518
• DOI: 10.1177/08862605231175519

Faculty, staff, and students employed by or who serve as representative of universities in the United States are required by the Title IX federal law to report all instances of sexual harassment, discrimination, and sexual assault on college campuses. Despite the well-intended purpose of the Title IX regulations, less is known about campus communities’ experiences and perceptions of this “mandated reporting,” and its influence on disclosure. This exploratory mixed-methods study examines student (n = 88) and faculty and staff (n = 77) thoughts, concerns, and experiences regarding this policy at a mid-sized Northeastern University. Participants were recruited utilizing a campus lab system, with supplemental recruitment through student-life offices on campus. Data were collected via an anonymous survey hosted on the Qualtrics platform. Descriptive statistics were conducted for quantitative responses, whereas thematic analysis was utilized to analyze open text responses. Descriptive statistics demonstrate that the majority of participants (students and faculty/staff) were aware of their “mandated reporter” status. Additionally, students and faculty/staff varied regarding their support of the policy and the majority of faculty/staff had not had students disclose sexual violence to them and thus, had not reported any incidences of sexual violence to the university. Results of the thematic analysis further highlight the complexity of students and faculty/staff views’ regarding the “mandated reporter” policy illustrating positive and negative perceived impacts of this policy, as well as several suggestions for improvement. Implications for research and practice are framed within the literature on Title IX, sexual harassment, and violence in the context of universities.