Campus Attitudes Towards Safety 2016

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2016

C.A.T.S. PRELIMINARY SURVEY RESULTS (2015-2016 Academic Year)

Introduction

Campus Attitudes Toward Safety (C.A.T.S.) was developed to provide the University of Kentucky’s (UK) administration with information about the campus climate and students’ adverse experiences, including sexual violence and partner violence. The data from C.A.T.S. will be used for reporting purposes as well as for institutional planning.

Enrollment

Because any student can experience and work to prevent violence, UK directed all students to complete C.A.T.S. The survey was available from March 1st - May 31st in the 2016 Spring semester. The 23,133 C.A.T.S. participants consisted of 56% female, 43% male, and 1.2% Transgender or Non-Gender Conforming; 79% undergraduates and 21% graduate/professional students.

Public Relations and Incentives

Public relations for implementing C.A.T.S. focused on media promotion of the project along with incentives for early completion of the survey to eliminate any administrative hold on registering for classes or obtaining transcripts. Media promotion included the development of a graphic element, #CATSseesafety, website, articles and advertisements of incentives in the Kentucky Kernel, and 50+ yard signs on campus to announce the availability of C.A.T.S. for completion.

Early in the process, emails to faculty, advisors, and students explained the importance and requirement of taking C.A.T.S. Public Relations efforts resulted in approximately 70% of the student population completing C.A.T.S. prior to registration.

* UK students refers to UK students participating in the survey. Students with a 'Choose not to answer' (4.0%) response to all survey questions were removed from this report.

Percentages are based on the number of non-missing responses to each question. 'Choose not to answer' responses are treated as missing responses.

PERCEPTION OF SAFETY Generally, students felt quite safe at UK. More students reported feeling safe during the day on campus (98%) than at night (81%).

Almost all students (94%) believed that UK cares about their safety and 78% of the students were registered to receive crime bulletins. Only 49% of students believed that sexual violence was not a problem at UK.

PERCEPTION OF UK RESPONSE TO REPORTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS Most students perceived UK as an institution that would respond in a fair and helpful manner to a report of sexual assault. Specifically, 89% believed the administration would handle the report fairly and 92% believed campus police would be helpful. Almost half (47%) of the students responded that the accused person or his/her friends would retaliate against the person reporting a sexual assault, however 89% thought UK would take steps to prevent such retaliation against the person making the report.

KNOWLEDGE FOR REPORTING A SEXUAL ASSAULT Although more than half of UK students were accurate regarding knowledge related to reporting sexual assault, this still leaves a significant proportion of students who are not correctly informed. Approximately 63% were aware that accommodations can be made for sexual assault victims, and 61% knew that UK officials must investigate a report of sexual assault. 77% were aware that UK personnel (e.g., faculty, TAs, RAs, coaches) would be required to report to UK officials, and 77% knew which sources on campus were confidential.

STUDENTS OBSERVING RISKY BEHAVIORS Students witnessed events where they suspected a person high on substances was being led away for sex (19%); 12% were aware of a student that was physically hurt by a partner; 9% suspected or witnessed extra alcohol or drugs being slipped into someone’s drink, and 11% heard someone admit to making someone have sex with them. % Observed/Suspected

* UK students refers to UK students participating in the survey. Students with a 'Choose not to answer' (4%) response to all survey questions were removed from this report.

Percentages are based on the number of non-missing responses to each question. 'Choose not to answer' responses are treated as missing responses.

BULLYING, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, AND STALKING

STUDENTS EXPERIENCING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE

Only students who indicated having a partner were asked these questions.

Within the past year, 17% of UK students said they were verbally bullied, 8% reported bullying via social media (e.g.

Facebook, Twitter, Yik Yak), and 6% were physically bullied.

Stalking occured at 9% but 6% reported being stalked in the past year by either a UK student or UK employee. Although 22% of UK students were sexually harassed, 17% experienced sexual harassment by a UK student/employee.

Of the UK students in partnered relationships (dating and marital), 8% reported experiencing physical violence in the past year. 4% reported the physical violence in their relationships was commited by a partner who was a UK student or employee. Serious psychological abuse was reported more often, with 17% of students reporting being monitored, intimidated, manipulated through severe threats, controlled in their decision-making, or publicly humiliated by their partners in the past year. 8% of students reported these behaviors were committed by partners who were UK students or employees.

* UK students refers to UK students participating in the survey. Students with a 'Choose not to answer' (4.0%) response to all survey questions were removed from this report.

Percentages are based on the number of non-missing responses to each question. 'Choose not to answer' responses are treated as missing responses.

SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN THE PAST YEAR UK students (n=837; 4.3%) reported vaginal, oral, or anal sex that occurred because: they were slipped drugs or alcohol and unable to consent; they were unable to consent due to voluntary drinking or taking drugs; they were threatened with physical harm; or they were physically forced. This percentage also includes individuals for whom someone attempted to force them to have sex, but they were able to escape.

SEXUAL ASSAULT BY LOCATION (n=730)+

Of students reporting the location of the sexual assault (n=730), approximately 1/3 (36%) reported the occurrence was either on UK property or trips.

Of students reporting whether or not the person committing the offense was a UK student or employee (n=720), approximately 2/3 (68%) reported the assailant was affiliated with UK.

PERSON COMMITING SEXUAL ASSAULT (n=720)+

+12.8% (n=107) chose not to answer Sexual Assault: Location and 13.9% (n=117) chose not to answer Sexual Assault : Person.

REPORTING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT Students reported the services they contacted following an incident. Students did not show a preference between campus police versus Lexington police for reporting sexual assault. Only 2% of those who experienced sexual assault reported to campus police while 1% reported to Lexington police; 7% reported to the Violent Intervention and Prevention Program or Counseling Center, and 4% reported to UK Health Services. Another 9% reported to other UK affiliated sources (e.g., faculty, staff). A majority of these students (61%) turned to other sources, such as peers or family. For students who did not report their sexual assault to UK sources, the most frequently stated reasons for not seeking help were that they thought it wasn’t serious enough (30%); they felt it was a private matter (26%); wanted to forget it happened (22%); felt partially responsible (19%); or were embarrassed/ ashamed (14%).

837

Any sexual assault Students reporting to UK source University Affiliated (e.g. faculty, staff, coaches, etc.)

72 (8.6%)

UK VIP Center/Counseling

55 (6.6%)

University Police Dept.

14 (1.7%)

University Health Services

32 (3.8%)

Students reporting to non-UK source

12 (1.4%)

Lexington Police Dept.

Peer/Family

508 (60.7%)

Top Reasons for Not Seeking Help* from UK Sources

715

1. Wasn’t serious enough

212 (29.7%)

2. Felt it was a private matter

185 (25.9%)

3. Wanted to forget it happened

156 (21.8%)

4. Felt partially responsible

134 (18.7%)

5. Embarrassed or ashamed

99 (13.8%)

Students with a 'Choose not to answer' response to all survey questions were removed from this report.

Percentages are based on the number of non-missing responses to each question.

'Choose not to answer' responses are treated as missing responses.

*Only students not reporting to a UK source were asked this question (n=715). These responses are not mutually exclusive.

PHILOSOPHY: The University of Kentucky administration directed the Center for Research on Violence Against Women to conduct an annual campus safety/violence survey for 5 years beginning in 2014-2015. This is part of UK’s mission to promote student safety and cultural/institutional change regarding interpersonal violence and abuse on campus.

Two rationales guided the development and implementation of this campus safety survey: 1) improve the accuracy of campus data reported for legislation requirements (e.g.

Clery Act 1998); and 2) improve the accuracy of data for

numbers of students experiencing violent and harassing behavior in order to better plan for services for victims and interventions for prevention of violence.

This internal quality improvement project based on population data is potentially expected to eliminate the sample bias that occurs with convenience sampling or voluntary response sampling. For this project, it was important to collect population data to ensure each student had the opportunity to have a voice for providing feedback to UK administration.

CATSseesafety@uky.edu uky.edu/CATSseesafety

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Dr. Eli Capilouto

University of Kentucky President

Dr. William Swinford

Chief of Staff, Office of the President

Dr. Diane Follingstad

PI, Director and Women’s Circle Endowed Chair at the Center for Research on Violence Against Women

Jaspreet Chahal, M.S.

Research Coordinator, Center for Research on Violence Against Women

Dr. Claire Renzetti

Co-I, Judi Conway Patton Endowed Chair at the Center for Research on Violence Against Women

Dr. Heather Bush

Co-I, Biostatistician, Kate Spade & Company Foundation Endowed Professor at the Center for Research on Violence Against Women

Dr. Charles Carlson

Co-I, Robert H. & Anna B. Culton Endowed Professor at the Center for Research on Violence Against Women

Dr. Ann Coker

Co-I, Verizon Wireless Endowed Chair at the Center for Research on Violence Against Women

Jade Singleton

Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Research on Violence Against Women

OTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: UK Analytics and Technologies

UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Center

UK Division of Student Affairs

UK Office of Public Relations and Marketing

UK Office of Legal Counsel

UK Police Department

Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity

University Health Services

CATSseesafety@uky.edu uky.edu/CATSseesafety