ERIC Number: EJ1389155
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 34
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-5748
EISSN: EISSN-1090-7009
"How Is a Student to Know Who They Can Talk To?": University Website Communication about Sexual Assault in the Context of Compelled Disclosure
Eno, Jared P.; Armstrong, Elizabeth A.; Levitsky, Sandra R.; Kennon, Katelyn
Review of Higher Education, v46 n3 p373-406 Spr 2023
Compelled disclosure policies require many U.S. higher education employees to report all disclosures of sexual violence. These federally mandated policies make it important that student-survivors understand the implications of disclosures. We analyzed how university websites communicated information about compelled disclosure to students in 2017 and 2022, finding that websites (1) often lacked information about compelled disclosure policies, (2) discussed confidentiality in inaccurate or confusing ways, and (3) did not clearly indicate when access to resources was contingent upon reporting. In both university policy and website design, administrators should recognize that web communication about reporting and available resources may facilitate and/ or impede a survivor's ability to make agentic choices. Administrators should seek to design websites that prioritize survivor agency and control. Because a survivor's path to healing may not involve formal reporting, this means that transparent communication about compelled disclosure policies and visible access to confidential resources are key.
Descriptors: Self Disclosure (Individuals), Sexual Abuse, College Students, Web Sites, Information Dissemination, Confidentiality, Legal Responsibility, Victims of Crime, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, Access to Information, Resources
Johns Hopkins University Press. 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Tel: 800-548-1784; Tel: 410-516-6987; Fax: 410-516-6968; e-mail: jlorder@jhupress.jhu.edu; Web site: https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/list
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Title IX Education Amendments 1972
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1727491