Popular in Professional

Architecture

Connecting Cities and Nature

University of Virginia Timothy Beatley

Human Rights Law

Human Rights and Corruption: Problems and Potential of Individualising a Systemic Problem

Max Planck Institute Anne Peters

Finance

Chinese Exchange Rate Policy: Lessons for Global Investors

University of California San Diego Michael Melvin

Law

A statistical approach to law school citation rankings

University of Virginia Joshua Fischman

Education

Firm Performance Pay as Insurance against Promotion Risk

Stockholm School of Economics Alvin Chen

Constitutional Law

What is constitutional ideology?

University of Oxford Nick Barber

Institutional predictors of campus sexual misconduct reporting

View more insights in Professional - Education

View more figures from Utah State University

View the page of Christy Glass

Read the Study

Next in Education

The Future of Great Universities

Jonathan R. Cole | Columbia University

Still going… sometimes in the dark”: Reflections of a woman of color educator

Yolanda Abel | Johns Hopkins University

Christy Glass responds to calls to consider institutional factors that shape campus climates for sexual misconduct and reporting.

Image courtesy of interviewee. January 31, 2024

Log-in or Sign-up to Faculti
Currently viewing this subject insight as a guest. You have insight(s) remaining for this month. Login to view 8000+ figures on the platform.

Generating Workspace...

Export as PDF

This video video discusses research by Dr. Sson Cook and a co-author exploring the influence of representation in college leadership on the reporting of sexual misconduct. Their previous findings indicated that increased representation of women in university administrative roles correlates with reduced harassment claims. This video video paper's objective is to specifically assess whether appointing women as college presidents enhances reporting rates of sexual misconduct.

The authors highlight the alarming prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses, noting that less than one-third of incidents are reported due to survivors' fears about the institutional response. They propose that women leaders may foster an environment more conducive to reporting by enhancing trust in the institution and actively promoting preventative measures against misconduct.

The research analyzed data from four-year colleges across the U.S. between 2005 and 2020, comparing reporting rates before and after women were appointed as presidents. Results indicated that the appointment of a woman president significantly increased reporting of sexual misconduct, with notable increases in both the first year following the appointment and over the duration of the president's tenure.

The findings suggest that women’s leadership improves campus climates, making survivors more likely to trust they will be treated with dignity and respect when they report assaults. The study emphasizes the need for organizations to focus on institutional factors and representation in leadership roles to effectively address campus sexual misconduct, rather than continue prioritizing individual-level predictors and solutions. The authors advocate for better recruitment and retention practices aiding increased diversity within leadership as a way to provide a more supportive environment for survivors.

Language:

Export as PDF

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:90000

1
00:00:00.345 --> 00:00:03.285
My co-author and collaborator, Dr.

2
00:00:03.565 --> 00:00:07.045
Sson Cook, and I have long been interested in the impact

3
00:00:07.045 --> 00:00:09.485
of representation on organizational outcomes,

4
00:00:09.705 --> 00:00:11.045
how organizations work.

5
00:00:11.495 --> 00:00:13.565
We've looked at, the, the impact

6
00:00:13.565 --> 00:00:15.525
of representation on equity

7
00:00:15.545 --> 00:00:18.165
and inclusion outcomes, environmental sustainability,

8
00:00:18.435 --> 00:00:22.365
performance, and, and, and lots of other outcome comes.

9
00:00:22.425 --> 00:00:25.605
But our goal with this paper was to understand

10
00:00:25.705 --> 00:00:28.245
how representation in college leadership

11
00:00:28.755 --> 00:00:31.725
impacts sexual misconduct reporting.

12
00:00:31.945 --> 00:00:33.445
In our previous work, we found

13
00:00:33.445 --> 00:00:35.365
that women's overall representation

14
00:00:36.025 --> 00:00:38.205
in university administrative roles

15
00:00:38.955 --> 00:00:40.725
reduced harassment claims.

16
00:00:41.065 --> 00:00:44.285
But in this paper, we wanted to understand specifically

17
00:00:44.825 --> 00:00:47.925
if women's appointment to the presidential position

18
00:00:48.435 --> 00:00:50.565
increased misconduct reporting.

19
00:00:50.905 --> 00:00:53.805
So basically, we wanted to ask, does women's appointment

20
00:00:54.185 --> 00:00:55.885
as president of a college

21
00:00:56.045 --> 00:00:59.645
or university alter the campus climate in ways

22
00:00:59.715 --> 00:01:01.245
that increase reporting?

23
00:01:01.425 --> 00:01:03.085
And we know that reporting

24
00:01:03.145 --> 00:01:06.405
of sexual misconduct is a really critical mechanism

25
00:01:07.305 --> 00:01:11.005
for preventing assault, but also for supporting survivors.

26
00:01:11.745 --> 00:01:13.325
So reporting is key

27
00:01:13.465 --> 00:01:17.525
to both holding perpetrators accountable, but also,

28
00:01:17.705 --> 00:01:21.405
and I think really critically facilitating support

29
00:01:21.625 --> 00:01:24.245
and services and outreach to survivors.

30
00:01:24.385 --> 00:01:26.685
So we wanna understand whether

31
00:01:26.785 --> 00:01:29.405
and how women's representation in leadership can

32
00:01:29.405 --> 00:01:30.605
facilitate reporting.

33
00:01:31.025 --> 00:01:35.005
And I think it bears, it bears, saying that sexual

34
00:01:35.695 --> 00:01:38.325
misconduct on college campuses is,

35
00:01:38.465 --> 00:01:39.965
has reached crisis levels.

36
00:01:40.545 --> 00:01:44.685
Uh, today about one in three women in college will

37
00:01:44.685 --> 00:01:46.525
experience sexual assault,

38
00:01:47.105 --> 00:01:50.045
and one in four men, according to some studies report,

39
00:01:50.045 --> 00:01:54.005
having committed sexual violence while in, while in,

40
00:01:54.005 --> 00:01:58.805
college and at particular risk, our LGBTQ plus students,

41
00:01:59.085 --> 00:02:01.125
particularly bisexual women

42
00:02:01.185 --> 00:02:03.325
and gender non-conforming individuals,

43
00:02:04.085 --> 00:02:05.805
disabled women and women of color.

44
00:02:06.545 --> 00:02:10.965
Yet, despite the prevalence of sexual assault on campus,

45
00:02:11.635 --> 00:02:13.965
reporting remains one of the most, you know,

46
00:02:13.965 --> 00:02:16.125
sexual assault on campus remains one

47
00:02:16.125 --> 00:02:19.685
of the most under-reported violent crimes in the us.

48
00:02:20.465 --> 00:02:23.845
Um, and so and so for us, these statistics are unacceptable.

49
00:02:24.145 --> 00:02:27.205
And we wanted to understand, you know, what's,

50
00:02:27.205 --> 00:02:28.405
what's happening and, and,

51
00:02:28.465 --> 00:02:33.325
and what's predicting both, a lack of reporting and,

52
00:02:33.345 --> 00:02:35.645
and a and a increase in reporting.

53
00:02:35.665 --> 00:02:38.165
And I think the problem with reporting,

54
00:02:38.225 --> 00:02:42.325
the reason sexual misconduct is so under reported, is

55
00:02:42.325 --> 00:02:43.645
that many survivors feel

56
00:02:43.645 --> 00:02:47.205
that the process itself will be stigmatizing and punitive.

57
00:02:48.005 --> 00:02:52.165
A lot of students fear that their campuses will handle,

58
00:02:52.215 --> 00:02:55.925
their assault reports, in a, in a, in a way

59
00:02:56.035 --> 00:02:58.925
that further exacerbates the trauma

60
00:02:59.195 --> 00:03:00.365
that they've experienced.

61
00:03:00.395 --> 00:03:02.365
They fear they'll be revictimized

62
00:03:02.465 --> 00:03:04.525
by the investigatory pro process,

63
00:03:05.545 --> 00:03:08.365
or nothing will happen to the perpetrators at all.

64
00:03:08.545 --> 00:03:10.845
And we understand this fear, this fear

65
00:03:10.845 --> 00:03:12.245
of institutional betrayal.

66
00:03:12.255 --> 00:03:15.885
We've seen both, of these outcomes, both the kind

67
00:03:15.885 --> 00:03:19.005
of revictimization of, of women who come forward

68
00:03:19.785 --> 00:03:21.485
and a lack of accountability

69
00:03:21.545 --> 00:03:23.285
for perpetrators on our own campus.

70
00:03:25.065 --> 00:03:28.525
On the other hand, we know that when students perceive

71
00:03:28.525 --> 00:03:31.485
that their campus will be supportive of survivors,

72
00:03:31.835 --> 00:03:33.445
they're more likely to come forward

73
00:03:33.705 --> 00:03:35.445
and report their assault.

74
00:03:36.065 --> 00:03:38.365
And we also know from our previous work

75
00:03:38.435 --> 00:03:40.525
that leadership composition

76
00:03:40.785 --> 00:03:42.645
and accountability, particularly

77
00:03:43.425 --> 00:03:46.925
are really powerful mechanisms for shaping the climate

78
00:03:47.065 --> 00:03:48.085
of an organization.

79
00:03:48.825 --> 00:03:50.525
So, for example, in other contexts,

80
00:03:50.525 --> 00:03:54.245
women's representation in leadership has been shown to kind

81
00:03:54.365 --> 00:03:56.125
of shift organizational climate

82
00:03:56.265 --> 00:04:00.405
and priorities in ways that reduce the tolerance

83
00:04:00.425 --> 00:04:02.805
for misconduct in the organization.

84
00:04:02.985 --> 00:04:05.605
So, armed with these insights, we wanted

85
00:04:05.605 --> 00:04:08.365
to assess whether women's representation in college

86
00:04:08.365 --> 00:04:12.085
leadership can alter the climate specifically for reporting.

87
00:04:12.085 --> 00:04:14.765
And we explored two mechanisms.

88
00:04:14.895 --> 00:04:19.485
First, we've observed that women presidents,

89
00:04:19.535 --> 00:04:23.605
women leaders generally face much greater pressure

90
00:04:23.705 --> 00:04:27.525
and scrutiny to address campus assault

91
00:04:28.145 --> 00:04:30.005
and are more likely to be blamed

92
00:04:30.005 --> 00:04:33.725
and held accountable for account related scan for,

93
00:04:33.785 --> 00:04:35.925
for assault related scandals.

94
00:04:36.705 --> 00:04:39.405
Uh, we also know that women leaders are,

95
00:04:39.435 --> 00:04:41.845
just generally not just in higher education,

96
00:04:41.865 --> 00:04:43.965
but more broadly tend to be associated

97
00:04:43.995 --> 00:04:46.445
with stronger equity, policies.

98
00:04:46.985 --> 00:04:50.685
Um, and women compared to men tend

99
00:04:50.685 --> 00:04:52.485
to have a much broader definition

100
00:04:52.985 --> 00:04:55.085
and understanding of sexual misconduct.

101
00:04:55.265 --> 00:04:57.685
So on the one hand, we wanted to test whether

102
00:04:58.295 --> 00:05:02.045
these factors induce women presidents to kind

103
00:05:02.045 --> 00:05:04.405
of be more proactive about

104
00:05:05.405 --> 00:05:08.365
adopting best in promising practices for prevention.

105
00:05:08.745 --> 00:05:12.805
But we also predicted that organizationally, the appointment

106
00:05:12.805 --> 00:05:15.885
of women presidents would have significant consequences.

107
00:05:16.905 --> 00:05:21.005
For example, perhaps greater representation in leadership

108
00:05:21.185 --> 00:05:23.965
can shift, perceptions of whether

109
00:05:24.025 --> 00:05:27.365
or not the organization tolerates assault.

110
00:05:28.305 --> 00:05:30.085
We also know that women's,

111
00:05:31.005 --> 00:05:33.645
position in really senior leadership roles like the

112
00:05:33.695 --> 00:05:37.565
presidency, increases the appointment of other women

113
00:05:37.705 --> 00:05:39.925
and people of color into leadership roles,

114
00:05:40.825 --> 00:05:43.725
and in a way that can also increase perceptions

115
00:05:43.725 --> 00:05:47.525
that the institution is less tolerance of bias overall.

116
00:05:48.305 --> 00:05:52.765
Um, we also know that women's, pre women presidents,

117
00:05:52.835 --> 00:05:55.325
tend to be associated with greater coordination

118
00:05:55.435 --> 00:05:56.725
between and among

119
00:05:56.725 --> 00:05:57.725
Campus units.

120
00:05:58.185 --> 00:06:00.725
Uh, and we know that especially when it comes

121
00:06:00.825 --> 00:06:04.765
to sexual misconduct, coordination, cooperation,

122
00:06:04.785 --> 00:06:09.245
and partnership across campus units can really, make,

123
00:06:09.305 --> 00:06:11.885
allow for headway in terms of prevention.

124
00:06:11.945 --> 00:06:15.285
So, taken together all of these factors, we wanted

125
00:06:15.445 --> 00:06:18.445
to understand if, if this will increase reporting

126
00:06:18.865 --> 00:06:21.885
by enhancing survivor's trust in the organization

127
00:06:22.585 --> 00:06:25.325
and by enhancing the organization's kind

128
00:06:25.325 --> 00:06:26.845
of commitment to prevention.

129
00:06:27.325 --> 00:06:30.925
A lot of previous research on this topic really focuses at

130
00:06:30.925 --> 00:06:32.085
the individual level.

131
00:06:32.385 --> 00:06:35.125
So, for example, there's been a lot of research

132
00:06:35.705 --> 00:06:38.285
on the demographic predictors of assault,

133
00:06:38.625 --> 00:06:41.445
the demographic predictors of perpetration.

134
00:06:42.835 --> 00:06:46.745
These studies focus on, individual attitudes,

135
00:06:47.425 --> 00:06:49.305
substance use, pure effects, right,

136
00:06:49.305 --> 00:06:53.225
to determine both who's more at risk of experiencing assault

137
00:06:53.725 --> 00:06:58.065
and who is most likely to perpetrate violence on campuses.

138
00:06:58.925 --> 00:07:02.265
And not surprisingly, this individual level focus

139
00:07:02.325 --> 00:07:04.465
of the research has fed

140
00:07:05.325 --> 00:07:08.665
individualistic policy approaches to prevention.

141
00:07:08.725 --> 00:07:12.065
So, for example, most American colleges

142
00:07:12.065 --> 00:07:16.745
and universities now, have mandatory training,

143
00:07:17.055 --> 00:07:19.985
that, you know, all students are required to undergo.

144
00:07:20.605 --> 00:07:23.585
Yet mandatory training has, has been shown

145
00:07:23.585 --> 00:07:27.105
to have very minimal effect on prevention or on reporting.

146
00:07:28.005 --> 00:07:30.385
So we wanted to kind of move beyond this,

147
00:07:30.615 --> 00:07:34.265
this pretty limited though important individual focus

148
00:07:34.925 --> 00:07:37.465
to better understand the organizational context.

149
00:07:37.965 --> 00:07:41.665
How, organization organizational leadership

150
00:07:42.365 --> 00:07:43.905
can actually shape the context

151
00:07:44.125 --> 00:07:45.865
for both assault and reporting.

152
00:07:46.205 --> 00:07:50.185
We know there's wide variation across and between

153
00:07:50.285 --> 00:07:53.545
and among colleges in terms of the rates of reporting,

154
00:07:53.545 --> 00:07:54.545
the rates of misconduct.

155
00:07:55.045 --> 00:07:57.585
So we wanna start, you know, we wanna contribute

156
00:07:57.605 --> 00:07:59.265
to the growing understanding

157
00:07:59.415 --> 00:08:02.545
that we need a broader institutional understanding

158
00:08:02.565 --> 00:08:05.185
of this phenomenon, moving away from the individual

159
00:08:05.805 --> 00:08:08.985
to better understand why some campuses are doing

160
00:08:08.985 --> 00:08:10.225
better than others.

161
00:08:10.925 --> 00:08:14.865
We collected data on all four year colleges

162
00:08:14.865 --> 00:08:16.385
and universities in the US

163
00:08:16.975 --> 00:08:21.265
over a 15 year period from 2005 to 2020.

164
00:08:22.005 --> 00:08:25.625
We then compared reporting rates on those campuses

165
00:08:26.615 --> 00:08:30.825
when a woman was appointed to president, compared those,

166
00:08:30.885 --> 00:08:34.585
reporting rates to campuses where men were a appointed

167
00:08:34.765 --> 00:08:36.785
or, or were men served as president.

168
00:08:37.825 --> 00:08:41.065
Specifically we organ, we, we, collected data

169
00:08:41.085 --> 00:08:45.065
and analyzed data on reporting rates prior

170
00:08:45.085 --> 00:08:47.145
to women's appointment on campuses

171
00:08:47.145 --> 00:08:50.265
where men presidents had had previously served.

172
00:08:51.005 --> 00:08:53.545
And then we analyzed the impact of

173
00:08:53.545 --> 00:08:55.725
that appointment on reporting

174
00:08:56.425 --> 00:08:58.205
one year following the appointment,

175
00:08:58.745 --> 00:09:01.085
and then during the first three years of,

176
00:09:01.225 --> 00:09:02.885
of women president's tenure,

177
00:09:03.705 --> 00:09:07.365
and we compared those reporting rates using a match sample

178
00:09:07.545 --> 00:09:09.885
of men presidents within the same sample

179
00:09:10.065 --> 00:09:11.525
of colleges and universities.

180
00:09:12.225 --> 00:09:14.885
To that point, we actually find that the appointment

181
00:09:14.885 --> 00:09:17.885
of a woman president is significantly associated

182
00:09:18.395 --> 00:09:21.165
with an increase in reporting of sexual misconduct.

183
00:09:22.185 --> 00:09:24.805
In fact, we find, a significant

184
00:09:25.325 --> 00:09:27.525
increase even in just the first year.

185
00:09:27.945 --> 00:09:31.245
So, to your point, even in the short term,

186
00:09:31.315 --> 00:09:34.165
even in the first year when women are appointed president,

187
00:09:34.425 --> 00:09:36.005
we find a significant increase.

188
00:09:36.005 --> 00:09:39.405
And this is important because, you know, taking the helm

189
00:09:39.545 --> 00:09:42.485
of a large institution like a university

190
00:09:42.505 --> 00:09:44.645
or a college is a big job

191
00:09:44.785 --> 00:09:46.565
and there's a pretty steep learning curve.

192
00:09:47.225 --> 00:09:50.205
And so we actually expected to see,

193
00:09:50.385 --> 00:09:53.805
if we did see an impact, that it would be, you know,

194
00:09:53.835 --> 00:09:57.645
kind of, it, you know, delayed but emerge over time.

195
00:09:57.705 --> 00:10:00.525
But we actually find a significant increase in reporting

196
00:10:00.525 --> 00:10:02.005
even during that first year.

197
00:10:02.825 --> 00:10:06.325
But significantly, we also see a continued increase in

198
00:10:06.475 --> 00:10:09.165
reporting over the first three years.

199
00:10:09.425 --> 00:10:11.765
So, so, so an impact in the first year,

200
00:10:11.765 --> 00:10:16.325
and then, then a continue, continue increase over the course

201
00:10:16.385 --> 00:10:17.805
of a woman President's tenure.

202
00:10:17.985 --> 00:10:19.645
In fact, at every time point,

203
00:10:20.265 --> 00:10:23.445
our ANA analysis reveals significant differences in

204
00:10:23.445 --> 00:10:27.525
reporting rates when men versus women's serve

205
00:10:28.025 --> 00:10:29.165
as, as president.

206
00:10:29.745 --> 00:10:33.565
And, for us, these findings suggest,

207
00:10:33.825 --> 00:10:36.005
but they're consistent with our predictions,

208
00:10:36.865 --> 00:10:41.205
and they suggest that women presidents are associated both

209
00:10:41.275 --> 00:10:44.045
with stronger campus prevention policies

210
00:10:44.045 --> 00:10:47.165
and practices, as well as

211
00:10:47.885 --> 00:10:52.685
a shift in campus climate that enhances trust of survivors,

212
00:10:53.185 --> 00:10:56.085
and, predicting survivors willingness

213
00:10:56.105 --> 00:10:58.285
to come forward and report their abuse.

214
00:10:59.225 --> 00:11:02.645
Our findings really speak to the importance of moving

215
00:11:02.785 --> 00:11:07.285
beyond individual level, level predictors of misconduct.

216
00:11:08.175 --> 00:11:10.365
These are important, it's really important

217
00:11:10.465 --> 00:11:13.325
to understand the individual predictors of risk

218
00:11:13.465 --> 00:11:15.685
and perpetration, but

219
00:11:15.705 --> 00:11:19.245
to really get a handle on prevention at the campus level,

220
00:11:19.865 --> 00:11:23.445
we have to begin focusing on institutional

221
00:11:23.785 --> 00:11:27.925
and organizational factors that shape the, the climate

222
00:11:28.185 --> 00:11:30.605
for both misconduct and reporting.

223
00:11:31.395 --> 00:11:33.575
So for us, an institutional understanding

224
00:11:33.595 --> 00:11:35.975
of misconduct is really central

225
00:11:36.795 --> 00:11:39.735
for designing effective prevention policies

226
00:11:40.355 --> 00:11:44.095
and for creating campus climates that facilitate reporting.

227
00:11:44.225 --> 00:11:47.055
Again, reporting is not just important

228
00:11:47.115 --> 00:11:49.055
for holding perpetrators accountable

229
00:11:49.605 --> 00:11:53.055
reporting is also a critical pathway for making sure

230
00:11:53.165 --> 00:11:56.645
that survivors can access resources and supports.

231
00:11:57.225 --> 00:12:01.605
Uh, students who report their abuse show much greater,

232
00:12:02.105 --> 00:12:05.325
physical and mental health wellbeing over time.

233
00:12:05.905 --> 00:12:08.965
So we really have to make sure that in order to connect

234
00:12:09.565 --> 00:12:11.765
survivors with resources

235
00:12:11.885 --> 00:12:15.245
and supports, reporting is that critical step.

236
00:12:15.985 --> 00:12:18.925
But we, we can't expect survivors to report

237
00:12:19.145 --> 00:12:21.405
unless they perceive that the institution

238
00:12:21.915 --> 00:12:24.845
will address their report responsibly and,

239
00:12:24.865 --> 00:12:26.725
and with dignity and respect.

240
00:12:27.245 --> 00:12:30.765
I think second, our findings really speak to the importance

241
00:12:30.765 --> 00:12:32.445
of representation in leadership.

242
00:12:32.945 --> 00:12:35.205
Our work, not just in this paper, but,

243
00:12:35.265 --> 00:12:39.005
but our, our previous work as well shows that the presence

244
00:12:39.005 --> 00:12:42.325
of women and people of color in leadership really changes

245
00:12:42.505 --> 00:12:47.205
how organizations work, not just policies and practices

246
00:12:47.745 --> 00:12:50.965
and, and can composition, but also climate

247
00:12:51.265 --> 00:12:52.645
and perceived fairness.

248
00:12:53.545 --> 00:12:57.685
So, by increasing, you know, by increasing the adoption

249
00:12:57.685 --> 00:12:59.845
of more equitable and inclusive policies

250
00:12:59.845 --> 00:13:01.365
and practices,

251
00:13:01.365 --> 00:13:05.285
universities can really enhance both the representation in

252
00:13:05.285 --> 00:13:07.365
their, in their leadership ranks,

253
00:13:07.705 --> 00:13:10.285
but also enhance, the, the, the,

254
00:13:10.305 --> 00:13:12.845
the signals they're sending to key stakeholders

255
00:13:13.575 --> 00:13:17.125
about whether and how the institution will respond

256
00:13:17.315 --> 00:13:18.525
when abuse occurs.

257
00:13:18.945 --> 00:13:20.325
Now, we, we understand

258
00:13:20.515 --> 00:13:23.925
that campus sexual assault is a really complex problem

259
00:13:24.945 --> 00:13:27.405
in need of really complex solutions.

260
00:13:28.185 --> 00:13:30.925
But as long, I think as long as we continue

261
00:13:30.945 --> 00:13:34.205
to focus on these individual level predictors

262
00:13:34.265 --> 00:13:39.245
and individual individually targeted, solutions or, or,

263
00:13:39.265 --> 00:13:42.365
or policies, we're gonna continue to be really

264
00:13:42.885 --> 00:13:44.645
hamstrung in our ability

265
00:13:44.745 --> 00:13:47.085
to address this crisis comprehensively.

266
00:13:47.625 --> 00:13:50.485
Uh, so one, one mechanism, one mechanism,

267
00:13:50.665 --> 00:13:54.485
one important mechanism according to our work, to,

268
00:13:54.545 --> 00:13:57.485
to kind of reshaping the campus climate,

269
00:13:57.745 --> 00:14:00.805
to be more supportive of survivors is to make sure

270
00:14:00.805 --> 00:14:03.765
that universities reflect diversity, the diversity

271
00:14:03.825 --> 00:14:06.325
of their student body at all levels of leadership.

272
00:14:07.305 --> 00:14:09.085
So we really would like

273
00:14:09.085 --> 00:14:12.765
to see universities foster more inclusive career tracks

274
00:14:13.225 --> 00:14:14.445
for upper administration.

275
00:14:15.515 --> 00:14:18.205
We'd like to see universities adopt best practices

276
00:14:18.265 --> 00:14:20.445
for recruitment and hiring of leaders.

277
00:14:21.385 --> 00:14:22.645
And we'd really like

278
00:14:22.645 --> 00:14:25.085
to see universities enhance the retention

279
00:14:25.905 --> 00:14:27.685
of outstanding women leaders

280
00:14:27.745 --> 00:14:31.085
and potential women leaders who can really serve on

281
00:14:31.085 --> 00:14:34.085
that career track that ends in the president's office.

Women's Leadership and Sexual Misconduct Reporting

00:00:00 - My co-author and collaborator, Dr. Sson Cook, and I have long been interested in the impact of representation on organizational outcomes, how organizations work. We've looked at, the, the impact of representation on equity and inclusion outcomes, environmental sustainability, performance, and, and, and lots of other outcome comes. But our goal with this paper was to understand how representation in college leadership impacts sexual misconduct reporting.
00:00:33 - that women's overall representation in university administrative roles reduced harassment claims. But in this paper, we wanted to understand specifically if women's appointment to the presidential position increased misconduct reporting. So basically, we wanted to ask, does women's appointment as president of a college or university alter the campus climate in ways that increase reporting? And we know that reporting
00:01:07 - for preventing assault, but also for supporting survivors. So reporting is key to both holding perpetrators accountable, but also, and I think really critically facilitating support and services and outreach to survivors. So we wanna understand whether and how women's representation in leadership can facilitate reporting. And I think it bears, it bears, saying that sexual
00:01:38 - has reached crisis levels. today about one in three women in college will experience sexual assault, and one in four men, according to some studies report, having committed sexual violence while in, while in, college and at particular risk, our LGBTQ plus students, particularly bisexual women and gender non-conforming individuals, disabled women and women of color.
00:02:11 - reporting remains one of the most, you know, sexual assault on campus remains one of the most under-reported violent crimes in the us. and so and so for us, these statistics are unacceptable. And we wanted to understand, you know, what's, what's happening and, and, and what's predicting both, a lack of reporting and, and a and a increase in reporting. And I think the problem with reporting,
00:02:42 - that many survivors feel that the process itself will be stigmatizing and punitive. A lot of students fear that their campuses will handle, their assault reports, in a, in a, in a way that further exacerbates the trauma that they've experienced. They fear they'll be revictimized by the investigatory pro process, or nothing will happen to the perpetrators at all.

Impact of Women's Leadership on Campus Reporting

00:03:10 - of institutional betrayal. We've seen both, of these outcomes, both the kind of revictimization of, of women who come forward and a lack of accountability for perpetrators on our own campus. On the other hand, we know that when students perceive that their campus will be supportive of survivors, they're more likely to come forward and report their assault. And we also know from our previous work that leadership composition
00:03:43 - are really powerful mechanisms for shaping the climate of an organization. So, for example, in other contexts, women's representation in leadership has been shown to kind of shift organizational climate and priorities in ways that reduce the tolerance for misconduct in the organization. So, armed with these insights, we wanted to assess whether women's representation in college leadership can alter the climate specifically for reporting.
00:04:14 - First, we've observed that women presidents, women leaders generally face much greater pressure and scrutiny to address campus assault and are more likely to be blamed and held accountable for account related scan for, for assault related scandals. we also know that women leaders are, just generally not just in higher education, but more broadly tend to be associated
00:04:46 - and women compared to men tend to have a much broader definition and understanding of sexual misconduct. So on the one hand, we wanted to test whether these factors induce women presidents to kind of be more proactive about adopting best in promising practices for prevention. But we also predicted that organizationally, the appointment of women presidents would have significant consequences.
00:05:21 - can shift, perceptions of whether or not the organization tolerates assault. We also know that women's, position in really senior leadership roles like the presidency, increases the appointment of other women and people of color into leadership roles, and in a way that can also increase perceptions that the institution is less tolerance of bias overall.
00:05:52 - tend to be associated with greater coordination between and among Campus units. and we know that especially when it comes to sexual misconduct, coordination, cooperation, and partnership across campus units can really, make, allow for headway in terms of prevention. So, taken together all of these factors, we wanted to understand if, if this will increase reporting

Shifting Focus: Leadership's Role in Reporting

00:06:22 - and by enhancing the organization's kind of commitment to prevention. A lot of previous research on this topic really focuses at the individual level. So, for example, there's been a lot of research on the demographic predictors of assault, the demographic predictors of perpetration. These studies focus on, individual attitudes, substance use, pure effects, right,
00:06:53 - and who is most likely to perpetrate violence on campuses. And not surprisingly, this individual level focus of the research has fed individualistic policy approaches to prevention. So, for example, most American colleges and universities now, have mandatory training, that, you know, all students are required to undergo.
00:07:23 - to have very minimal effect on prevention or on reporting. So we wanted to kind of move beyond this, this pretty limited though important individual focus to better understand the organizational context. How, organization organizational leadership can actually shape the context for both assault and reporting. We know there's wide variation across and between and among colleges in terms of the rates of reporting,
00:07:55 - So we wanna start, you know, we wanna contribute to the growing understanding that we need a broader institutional understanding of this phenomenon, moving away from the individual to better understand why some campuses are doing better than others. We collected data on all four year colleges and universities in the US over a 15 year period from 2005 to 2020. We then compared reporting rates on those campuses
00:08:30 - reporting rates to campuses where men were a appointed or, or were men served as president. Specifically we organ, we, we, collected data and analyzed data on reporting rates prior to women's appointment on campuses where men presidents had had previously served. And then we analyzed the impact of that appointment on reporting one year following the appointment,
00:09:01 - of women president's tenure, and we compared those reporting rates using a match sample of men presidents within the same sample of colleges and universities. To that point, we actually find that the appointment of a woman president is significantly associated with an increase in reporting of sexual misconduct. In fact, we find, a significant increase even in just the first year. So, to your point, even in the short term,

Impact of Women Presidents on Reporting Rates

00:09:34 - we find a significant increase. And this is important because, you know, taking the helm of a large institution like a university or a college is a big job and there's a pretty steep learning curve. And so we actually expected to see, if we did see an impact, that it would be, you know, kind of, it, you know, delayed but emerge over time. But we actually find a significant increase in reporting even during that first year.
00:10:06 - reporting over the first three years. So, so, so an impact in the first year, and then, then a continue, continue increase over the course of a woman President's tenure. In fact, at every time point, our ANA analysis reveals significant differences in reporting rates when men versus women's serve as, as president. And, for us, these findings suggest,
00:10:36 - and they suggest that women presidents are associated both with stronger campus prevention policies and practices, as well as a shift in campus climate that enhances trust of survivors, and, predicting survivors willingness to come forward and report their abuse. Our findings really speak to the importance of moving beyond individual level, level predictors of misconduct.
00:11:10 - to understand the individual predictors of risk and perpetration, but to really get a handle on prevention at the campus level, we have to begin focusing on institutional and organizational factors that shape the, the climate for both misconduct and reporting. So for us, an institutional understanding of misconduct is really central for designing effective prevention policies
00:11:44 - Again, reporting is not just important for holding perpetrators accountable reporting is also a critical pathway for making sure that survivors can access resources and supports. students who report their abuse show much greater, physical and mental health wellbeing over time. So we really have to make sure that in order to connect survivors with resources
00:12:15 - But we, we can't expect survivors to report unless they perceive that the institution will address their report responsibly and, and with dignity and respect. I think second, our findings really speak to the importance of representation in leadership. Our work, not just in this paper, but, but our, our previous work as well shows that the presence of women and people of color in leadership really changes

Enhancing Campus Leadership Diversity for Equity

00:12:47 - and, and can composition, but also climate and perceived fairness. So, by increasing, you know, by increasing the adoption of more equitable and inclusive policies and practices, universities can really enhance both the representation in their, in their leadership ranks, but also enhance, the, the, the, the signals they're sending to key stakeholders
00:13:17 - when abuse occurs. Now, we, we understand that campus sexual assault is a really complex problem in need of really complex solutions. But as long, I think as long as we continue to focus on these individual level predictors and individual individually targeted, solutions or, or, or policies, we're gonna continue to be really hamstrung in our ability
00:13:47 - so one, one mechanism, one mechanism, one important mechanism according to our work, to, to kind of reshaping the campus climate, to be more supportive of survivors is to make sure that universities reflect diversity, the diversity of their student body at all levels of leadership. So we really would like to see universities foster more inclusive career tracks for upper administration.
00:14:31 - for recruitment and hiring of leaders. And we'd really like to see universities enhance the retention of outstanding women leaders and potential women leaders who can really serve on that career track that ends in the president's office.

Faculti AI can make mistakes

Research

Policy

Analysis