CURRENT STATE OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT REPORTING AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
Dartmouth’s recent changes in sexual misconduct disciplinary procedures and policies present a unique opportunity to analyze how these policy implementations have translated into sexual violence survivors’ reporting experiences, especially in regards to mental health and well-being. My research studies how intersections of mental health and student identity play out in survivors’ experiences in reporting to the College.
FINDINGS AND STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN REPORTING
I conducted an inductive, exploratory, and mixed-methods research project to answer the questions: “What are the perceptions and lived experiences of Dartmouth College’s sexual violence policies, especially in terms of reporters’ mental health and emotional well-being?” and “How do various identities of race, class, gender and sexual orientation affect these perceptions and lived experiences?” I conducted interviews with 16 Dartmouth students of diverse backgrounds, and a campus survey of 268 current Dartmouth undergraduate and graduate students. This research finds that race, class, gender and sexual orientation are all factors that affect both perceptions of Dartmouth’s support of survivors and their own experiences of dealing with reporting at the College.
LOOKING AHEAD: RECOMMENDATIONS
Through this research, three areas of needed improvement are clear. The recommendations as a result of my research include: 1) Centralizing support for resources and information, 2) Hiring and prioritizing advocates to help students with the reporting process, and 3) A higher demonstrated level of commitment to support survivors of sexual violence.
Mae Hardebeck, Dartmouth College Class of 2018 SPCSA Mini Grant Recipient 2016
April 4, 2017