A new report on sexual harassment at the University of Iowa found few big changes from the last report in 1992. Nancy Hauserman is an associate dean of the business college and one of the co-chairs of the committee that conducted the study covering 2004. She says there was somewhat of a difference in the number of people who said they had experienced “unwelcome behavior” from 55-percent in 1992 to 52-percent in 2004.
Hauserman says the change was more notable in another area.
She says there’s about a ten percent increase in the number of people who reported sexual harassment. Hauserman says that’s a difference they have a number of explanations for. Hauserman says the increase reflect’s a greater awareness of sexual harassment on campus, rather than increase in the amount of sexual harassment. She says alcohol use was linked to the harassment in many cases. Hauserman says a number of comments talked about the relationship of alcohol to the types of behaviors they experienced. She says this was particularly true in connection with bars and parties and also in relation to tailgating.
Hauserman says one disappointing finding is that more people reported this time around that they were not aware of the university’s sexual harassment policy. She says sometimes people don’t even know they can get help and don’t know what is considered a problem, so they don’t think help is available. Hauserman’s committee sent 10 recommendations to the U-of-I’s president.
Hauserman says the number one recommendation is to make sure the university educates the community about the sexual harassment policies, where you can find them, and where you can go to get help. Hauserman says the recommendations will now go to the university president.