Dive Brief:
- A survey by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that 17% of respondents had been sexually assaulted while attending MIT, but only 5% reported the assault to the school.
- MIT President Rafael Reif said the extent and nature of the problem is disturbing, and MIT Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart announced new policies for combating sexual assault, The Tech reported.
- While 35% of female undergraduate respondents to the survey reported they had experienced sexual harassment or assault, the figure was 14% for male undergrad respondents.
Dive Insight:
The detailed survey is seen as a first for schools in MIT’s peer group. The survey was sent to all MIT undergraduate and graduate students in April, with 35% — or 3,844 people — responding. Behaviors defined as sexual assault range from unwanted kissing or touching to rape. Undergrads reported higher rates of unwanted sexual experiences at MIT than grad students. MIT will provide more training for the school’s discipline committee, clarify sexual assault policies, and spend more on increasing education and support — and it has created a task force to create educational programs on the issue.