Penn State Altoona released the results of a survey of students’ experiences with and attitudes about sexual misconduct today (April 12), including a finding that 10.3 percent of students reported being the victim of at least one instance or attempt of sexual assault. The results are part of a comprehensive University-wide survey conducted last fall.
ALTOONA, Pa. — Penn State Altoona released the results of a survey of students’ experiences with and attitudes about sexual misconduct on April 12. The results are part of a comprehensive University-wide survey conducted last fall.
The Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey is part of an ongoing broad-based initiative by Penn State to significantly curtail sexual misconduct on all of its campuses, while at the same time expanding its efforts to provide an effective response to any cases. The survey asked students about their experiences, as well as about their attitudes, and awareness of the resources available for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct.
“The results of this survey are important in allowing Penn State Altoona to understand the current climate and to continuing our battle against sexual misconduct. Providing a safe and secure environment for our students to live and learn is our priority across the commonwealth,” said Andrea Dowhower, interim vice president for Penn State Student Affairs.
“I want to thank all of the students who took the time to complete the survey,” Chancellor Ron Darbeau said. “Our college leadership is committed to the continual work of making Penn State Altoona a safe place for our students to live and learn. Through the findings of this survey, we can better understand our campus climate. We are thus enabled to move forward with programming, policies, and practices that will help us to eliminate sexual misconduct on our campus.”
At Penn State Altoona, 1,500 students received the survey, and the response rate was 28.6%. University-wide, a representative sample of 7,352 students completed the survey, including both undergraduates and graduate students. Completely anonymous, voluntary and completed electronically, the survey covered topics such as whether a student thinks the University would take a report of sexual misconduct seriously, whether the student is aware of resources available and whether they would walk a friend home who had had too much to drink.
Summaries of the findings for each of the 23 Penn State campuses where students were surveyed, including Penn State Altoona, can be found online.
The survey itself was based on the Administration Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative (ARC3) survey, which was created based on suggestions from the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Penn State’s survey was administered by the Office of Student Affairs Research and Assessment, which partnered with DatStat, a data research company the University has worked with on other survey projects.
For more information about resources to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct at Penn State Altoona, contact Ashley Owens, Director of Student Accountability and Conflict Response and Title IX Resources Coordinator, at [email protected].
