Regardless of their own experiences, many college students do not trust their university to appropriately respond to incidents of sexual misconduct on campus, according to new research from scholars at Clemson University in South Carolina.
In a focus group study of faculty, staff, and students at a large university in the southeastern United States, the authors found that many participants reported a sense of “secondary institutional betrayal,” which refers to a belief that their university inadequately responds to others who have been harmed. Participants often said they believe their university is more concerned with its institutional reputation rather than with students’ well-being. Notably, while the study concentrated on sexual misconduct, the focus group participants also frequently mentioned their dissatisfaction with their university’s responses to incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ hate, racism, and hazing.
Based on these findings, the authors urge campus administrators to focus on building a sense of trust on campus, where students can feel safe to seek and receive the support they need.