The illusion of choice: Organizational dependency and the neutralization of university sexual assault complaints

Abstract

In response to new regulations, universities have created multiple options for managing sexual misconduct complaints. These options are described as maximizing survivors' autonomy through feminist paradigms of choice. This study uses data from ethnographic observation and 76 interviews with survivors, perpetrators, and administrators to examine whether providing options gave survivors control over their complaints. The findings indicate that survivors found the complicated and vague sexual misconduct policies overwhelming and confusing. As a result, they became dependent on university actors in decision-making, giving the university more control over survivors' complaints as institutional actors guided survivors to options that required minimal university action. | INTRODUCTIONOver the past decade, college sexual violence has received renewed attention in the national discourse, with a persistent focus on the high rate of victimization and the low rate of reports made to the organizations tasked with adjudicating cases of sexual assault (e.g., university police, Title IX Offices) (Cantor et al., 2015;Krebs et al., 2007). In contrast to other survivorsupportive resources, reporting is unique in that it is often the first step to any kind of action that mandates the participation of the perpetrator, including accountability-focused measures (e.g., expulsion or suspension) and protective actions to ensure survivors' safety and comfort (e.g., coordination of academic schedules to avoid contact, moving a perpetrator to a different dorm). Survivors unable to report may also struggle to access other formal services that

Policy whiplash: How California Title IX coordinators navigated local, state, and federal policy changes during the Trump administration

“…Study participants reported that the new regulations narrowed their response field under Title IX, and they anticipated resorting to other employee policies (e.g., Title V) to address the shortfalls in protection. Other researchers have found that the use of multiple options for managing sexual misconduct complaints can confuse and overwhelm survivors, increase their dependency on Title IX personnel, and undermine their autonomy and agency (Bedera, 2022). A number of Title IX coordinators in this study similarly thought the changes brought on by the new regulations would further undermine their credibility as a reliable and supportive force for survivors and the broader campus community.…”

Symbolic and substantive compliance communication about pregnant students’ rights and access to services among Texas public postsecondary institutions.

“…Symbolic compliance has been a starting point to examine institutional commitments to meeting Title IX obligations in colleges and universities (Bedera, 2022). Gualtieri (2020) examined symbolic compliance of Title IX interpretations based on the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter about sexual harassment and sexual violence at 250 colleges and universities.…”

“…She found that institutions used symbolic compliance in ways that differed based on institutional factors. Bedera (2022), looking further into Title IX and sexual This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

“…She found that institutions used symbolic compliance in ways that differed based on institutional factors. Bedera (2022), looking further into Title IX and sexual misconduct complaints, found that substantive compliance actions could be used to neutralize complaints, especially when decision making was controlled by university actors. The evidence of symbolic and substantive compliance is complex and deserving of examination.…”

Navigating the Risks of Party Rape in Historically White Greek Life at an Elite College: Women’s Accounts

“…However, many implemented strategies have had limited or short-term effects (DeGue et al 2014; Jouriles et al 2018), and most college campuses’ social and built environments still provide opportunities for sexual violence (Armstrong, Hamilton, and Sweeney 2006; Boswell and Spade 1996; Hirsch and Khan 2020; Martin and Hummer 1989). In addition, university processes for handlingcomplaints of sexual assault and helping survivors are often inadequate and even counterproductive (Bedera 2022; Cruz 2020; Khan et al 2021; Nesbitt and Carson 2021).…”