Appendix D: Statistics on the Prevalence of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in the Education Setting

The School provides training to the Grievance Process Pool on the following statistics ⁴⁶: 

1. Sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and violence, harms all students, undermines students’ physical safety, impedes students’ ability to learn, and can reinforce social inequality throughout a student’s lifetime. 
2. Sexual harassment and violence in higher education is pervasive. According to research published by the American Association of University Women, during college, 62 percent of women and 61 percent of men experience sexual harassment. The Association of American Universities (AAU) survey of students shows that more than 1 in 5 women and nearly 1 in 18 men are sexually assaulted in college. 
3. Historically marginalized and underrepresented groups are more likely to experience sexual harassment than their peers. Research from GLSEN and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that more than one-half of LGBTQ students 13 to 21 years of age, inclusive, are sexually harassed at school. An AAU survey indicates that nearly one in four transgender and gender-nonconforming students are sexually assaulted during college. According to a National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) report, students with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely than their peers to be sexually assaulted. 
4. Sexual harassment occurs both on campus and in off-campus spaces associated with school. Nationwide, nearly 9 in 10 college students live off campus and 41 percent of college sexual assaults involve off-campus parties. Research by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network indicates that only 8 percent of all sexual assaults occur on school property. 
5. Survivors generally underreport instances of sexual harassment and assault. The NWLC reports that only 12 percent of college survivors report sexual assault to their schools or the police. 
6. Research published in the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice demonstrates that 34 percent of sexual harassment and violence survivors drop out of college.

⁴⁶These statistics are included in CA Educ. Code, Section 66281.8.