Employees, Advisees, and Emerging Scholars: A Qualitative Analysis of Graduate Students' Roles and Experiences of Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment on College Campuses

Brittnie E Bloom,Cierra Raine Sorin,Jennifer A Wagman,Laury Oaks

doi:10.1007/s12119-021-09841-w

Abstract

Sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) are pervasive across university campuses. SVSH research rarely focuses on graduate students, who occupy unique positions within university settings due to their multiple responsibilities (e.g., teaching, research, mentoring), including managing unequal power dynamics with mentors and advisors. As part of a larger qualitative study, we sought to better understand SVSH generally and, when applicable, experiences of SVSH among graduate students on three campuses. Our primary research questions were: (a) How graduate students understand SVSH on their campus and whether they are at risk, (b) How graduate students navigate power dynamics that position them to experience SVSH, and (c) What graduate student-centered solutions and improvements can make campuses safer, more equitable spaces for all students. To answer these questions, we conducted 21 in-depth interviews and 8 focus group discussions with a diverse group of graduate students across various graduate programs. Using grounded theory and implementing student-centered approaches to data collection and analysis, we identified multiple themes, including graduate students’ uncertainty regarding SVSH on campus; and how power relations with faculty, combined with distrust of university processes, keep many graduate students silent about SVSH. Finally, employing graduate students’ suggestions, we offer recommendations for how universities can improve campus climate and SVSH resources for graduate students.

Highlights

A Critique of Current University‐Based SVSH ResearchStudies on college sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) have grown substantially in the last decade; SVSH remains a significant problem in college settings
For the purposes of this analysis, we aimed to answer the following research questions: How do graduate students understand SVSH on their campus? How do graduate students navigate and negotiate power dynamics that uniquely position them to experience SVSH? And what graduate student-centered solutions and improvements can be made to make campuses safer, more equitable spaces for all students?. This data was collected as part of UC Speaks Up, a multi-campus qualitative study led by faculty, staff, and students across three University of California (UC) campuses: UC Los Angeles (UCLA), UC San Diego (UCSD), UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) (UC Speaks Up, 2019)
While addressing wellness and mental health among graduate students has become prioritized in academia and research (Grady et al, 2013; Ray et al, 2019; Scherr et al, 2020), we found that graduate students who lacked social connectedness and experienced isolation may have a false sense of security that they will not experience SVSH, at least not in the “stereotypical” ways that undergraduates do

Summary

Introduction

A Critique of Current University‐Based SVSH ResearchStudies on college sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) have grown substantially in the last decade; SVSH remains a significant problem in college settings. The majority of research, student outreach and service provision remains focused on undergraduate students, leaving graduate students’ experiences of SVSH unheard and undocumented (Hirsch & Khan, 2020; McMahon et al, 2018). Recent studies that have included graduate students found that 5.2% experienced sexual assault since attending their university (McMahon et al, 2018), 38% of women and 23% of men experienced sexual harassment from a faculty or staff member (Rosenthal et al, 2016), 57% of women and 38% of men experienced sexual harassment from another student (Rosenthal et al, 2016) and 13% had a peer disclose that they had experienced SVSH (McMahon et al, 2018). In 2015, the University of Virginia released a report on SVSH, concluding that compared to their male counterparts, female graduate students were six times more likely to experience non-consensual penetration or sexual touching (Cantor et al, 2015)

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