By Lily Abromeit
Results of an almost year-old survey regarding sexual misconduct on the University of Iowa campus were released today.
UI officials released key findings of the Speak Out Iowa survey, which was conducted over seven weeks and was released in October of last year. The survey results, officials say, have helped them pinpoint the most problematic areas and begin conversations with stakeholders across campus.
Key findings, an anti-violence plan, and the full report were released by the university during a press conference Wednesday morning.
“This was the first time the University of Iowa asked about sexual misconduct in a comprehensive way,” Georgina Dodge, the chief diversity officer at the UI, said at the press conference.
The survey only received a 9.3 percent response rate, which puts limits on what the data can help officials understand.
The survey covered sexual misconduct, dating violence, and stalking, as well as had sections on perpetrator behavior, alcohol use, mental health and academic involvement.
The university published a key findings packet, which includes 12 of what they consider to be the most important findings from the survey.
The survey found that since enrolling at the UI, 21 percent of undergraduate female students who completed the survey, reported being raped. The report specifies that a reported rape could have occurred on or off campus or during breaks from school.
Additionally, of those who participated in the survey, 11.4 percent of undergraduate female students reported being raped their first semester at the UI.
For those students who reported having been raped, 26.4 percent reported being assaulted by more than one offender on more than one occasion.
Officials said the results, though limited, have helped them to develop an anti-violence plan, which will include input from “campus stakeholders,” such as student groups and campus leaders.
“Through collaborative efforts, including the six-point plan to combat sexual assault, we’ve made measurable progress and there’s more work to be done,” Monique DiCarlo, the sexual misconduct response coordinator, said at the conference. “And we took the time to have thoughtful conversations.”
Read the Daily Iowan print edition tomorrow morning for the full story.
