A report released on Jan. 24 revealed that 62 percent of college students encounter some type of sexual harassment while in school, and in half of those cases the harassment is physical.
According to research compiled by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation , two-thirds of those who say they have encountered sexual harassment are female.
The survey also found that slightly more than half of male students and about 30 percent of female students admit to harassing someone in college.
In response to its findings, the AAUW announced plans to start programs aimed at limiting sexual harassment in 11 different colleges across the country, including Salem’s Chemeketa Community College. These campuses were selected for their “demonstrated efforts to proactively address campus sexual harassment” and to create a safer campus climate.
The projects are aimed at raising awareness and eventually creating positive changes to the campus climate, the report said.
The majority of those who admitted to harassment say they did it because they thought it was funny. Thirty-two percent said they thought the person liked it, and 17 percent said they wanted a date with the person they harassed.
Seven percent of students said they reported sexual harassment to a faculty member and 57 percent of those surveyed said they would like their school to provide a confidential, Internet-based method for reporting a sexual harassment complaint, the survey reported. It was also reported that 47 percent of students surveyed would like a designated office or person to go to with sexual harassment complaints.
The Emerald reported in October that since 1999, an average of five sexual harassment cases have been reported per year at Oregon University System campuses.
More than 80,000 students and 12,000 faculty make up the seven universities.
In the same article, the Emerald reported that The State Board of Higher Education approved new guidelines regarding sexual harassment and relationships between students and faculty.
The regulations were in response to several high-profile sexual harassment cases at Western Oregon University. Gary Welander, a professor at WOU, was sued for sexual harassment by former student Rosemary Garcia, the Salem Statesman Journal reported. Shortly after, Gov. Ted Kulongoski ordered the state’s seven universities to re-evaluate their efforts to curtail sexual harassment.
The University has until September to implement changes to its sexual harassment policy, such as requiring that “any consensual relationship where a power differential exists” be reported to a supervisor.
According to the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Web site, the University defines sexual harassment as “sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic experience; or (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for any employment or academic decision; or (3) the conduct is unwelcome and sufficiently severe or pervasive that it has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.”
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