In response to its 2018 Anonymous Climate Survey on Sexual Misconduct, Johns Hopkins University is undertaking various initiatives to curb and prevent incidents of on-campus sexual misconduct.
The survey results painted a grim picture of sexual assault incidents on the school’s campus. Out of 3,000 students who were surveyed for the report, 625 students reported experiencing sexual assault while attending the university.
Furthermore, among undergraduate and graduate students, 20 percent reported experiencing intimate partner violence, while another 14 percent reported experienced stalking.
The latest results also highlighted a four percent increase in the number of sexual assault cases reported to the university between the school’s 2015 survey for unwanted sexual behavior and the 2018 academic school year.
“Over the past two years, while we saw significant increases in the number of reports to OIE, we heard legitimate concerns from our community about the length of some investigations,” provost Sunil Kumar and vice provost for institutional equity Kimberly Hewitt said in a release.
Despite the increase in the number of reported sexual assault incidents, the survey found that students also reported a greater familiarity with OIE, campus safety and security, counseling center, and student health and wellness center resources.
Looking ahead, officials are considering implementing bystander intervention trainings for students, additional training for staff working in student health and campus security positions, and increased survivor support resources.