Consistent Perpetrations, Inconsistent Sanctions: A Quantitative Study on Colleges' Responses to Sexual Misconduct by...

Area of Science:

• Sociology of higher education
• Criminology
• Organizational behavior

Background:

• Sexual misconduct by faculty is a persistent issue in U.S. colleges.
• Sanctions for faculty sexual misconduct are often lenient and inconsistent.
• Previous research focused on cultural factors, neglecting external influences on sanction decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how U.S. colleges respond to faculty sexual misconduct.
• To identify external factors associated with the severity of sanctions for faculty sexual misconduct.
• To inform policies for safer academic environments.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the Academic Sexual Misconduct Database (ASMD).
• Examination of institutional sanction decisions in faculty sexual misconduct cases.
• Statistical analysis to identify factors influencing sanction severity.

Main Results:

• Tenured faculty tend to receive more lenient sanctions.
• Non-white faculty tend to receive harsher sanctions compared to white faculty.
• The severity of the sexual misconduct was not significantly associated with the sanction severity.

Conclusions:

• College sanctioning processes for faculty sexual misconduct may be influenced by rational choice and cost-estimation, potentially leading to biased outcomes.
• Current sanctioning practices may not adequately address the harm caused by sexual misconduct.
• Recommendations include developing clearer, more consistent standards based on misconduct nature to promote equitable and safer academic environments.