C.A.T.S. PRELIMINARY SURVEY RESULTS (2014-2015 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
Public Relations and Incentives
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 2nd- May 31st in the 2015 Spring semester. The 24,382 C.A.T.S. participants consisted of 55% female, 44% male, and less than 1% Transgender or NonGender Conforming; 77% undergraduates and 22% graduate/ professional students.
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. The kick-off event consisted of a Q&A article with President Capilouto in the Kentucky Kernel. Public Relations efforts resulted in approximately 81% 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' (1.8%) 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 (77%). Almost all students (94%) believed that UK cares about their safety and 86% of the students were registered to receive crime bulletins. Only 44% 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, 91% believed the administration would handle the report fairly and 93% believed campus police would be helpful. Half (52%) of the students responded that the accused person or his/her friends would retaliate against the person reporting a sexual assault, however 91% 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 60% were aware that accommodations can be made for sexual assault victims, and 64% knew that UK officials must investigate a report of sexual assault. 76% 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 (17%); 12% were aware of a student that was physically hurt by a partner; 8% suspected or witnessed extra alcohol or drugs being slipped into someone’s drink, and 10% 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' (1.8%) 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, 16% of UK students said they were verbally bullied, 13% reported bullying via social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Yik Yak), 6% were physically bullied, and 6% reported bullying because they were perceived to be LGBT. Stalking occured at 6% but 3% reported being stalked in the past year by either a UK student or UK employee. Although 23% of UK students were sexually harassed, 16% experienced sexual harassment by a UK student/employee.
Of the UK students in partnered relationships (dating and marital), 7% reported experiencing physical violence in the past year. 3% 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' (1.8%) 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=1,053; 4.9%) reported unwanted sexual experiences (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;
SEXUAL ASSAULT BY LOCATION (N=821)+
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. Two-thirds of these students (3% of UK students; n=694) reported the occurrence was either on UK property/trips or committed by a UK student/employee.
For the 821 students who provided information about the location of the assault, 27% occurred in UK housing, 4% on campus in a UK affiliated location, and 6% occurred off campus in a UK affiliated location. However, the majority occurred off campus (62%).
PERSON COMMITING SEXUAL ASSAULT (N=830)+
The majority of individuals committing the sexual assaults were UK students (75%). Only 3% were committed by UK employees (e.g. faculty, staff, RAs/TAs), while 22% were committed by individuals not affiliated with UK.**
**22% (N=821) chose not to answer Sexual Assault: Location and 21% (N=830) chose not to answer Sexual Assault: Person +Students who indicated more than one location were assigned hierarchally to the location they endorsed first according to the categories in the list above. This assignment strategy was also used when students indicated more than one perpetrator.
REPORTING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT Students whose sexual assault was UK related (n=694) 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 2% reported to Lexington police; 6% reported to the Violent Intervention and Prevention Program or Counseling Center, and 3% reported to UK Health Services. Another 8% reported to other UK affiliated sources (e.g., faculty, staff). A majority of these students (63%) 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 wanted to forget what happened (46%); they felt it was a private matter (42%); they were embarrassed or ashamed (26%); they did not want to go through formal procedures (26%); or they did not want the person who did it to get into trouble (18%). Interestingly, fear of not being believed/being blamed or thinking others would not understand were each reported by approximately 15% of students.
All Students (N=24,382) Any sexual assault UK Location/ Person sexual assault Reporting to UK source University Affiliated UK VIP Center/Counceling University Police Dept. University Health Services Reporting to non-UK source Lexington Police Dept. Other
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.
Reporting was only asked for students who reported a UK Related Sexual Assault (N=694). Reason for not seeking help was only asked for students who reported Lexington PD or Other (N=444). 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 20142015. 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 Dr. Heather Bush Co-I, Biostatistician, Kate Spade & Company Foundation Endowed Professor at the Center for Research for Violence Against Women
Candace Brancato, M.S. Statistical Programmer Tracey Doyle, M.S. Administrative Staff Officer Dr. Ann Coker Co-I, Verizon Wireless Endowed Chair at the Center for Research for Violence Against Women Dr. Claire Renzetti Co-I, Judi Conway Patton Endowed Chair at the Center for Research for Violence Against Women Dr. Charles Carlson Co-I, Robert H. & Anna B. Culton Endowed Professor at the Center for Research on Violence Against Women
OTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: UK Analytics & Technologies
UK Office of Public Relations & Marketing
UK Division of Student Affairs
UK Police Department
UK Office of Legal Counsel
University Health Service
UK Violence Intervention & Prevention Center
CATSseesafety@uky.edu uky.edu/CATSseesafety