Data on campus resources

A majority of students who reported experiencing non-consensual or unwanted sexual contact said that the incident negatively impacted their physical or emotional health in some way. However, a low percentage of students reported having contacted on-campus resources for assistance. More students reported never contacting a campus resource than students doing so after instances of non-consensual sexual contact. The students that sought out resources were most likely to reach out to the Safe Office, the University Counseling Center and the Title IX Office. 

Palmieri said that the low reporting rates speak to how normalized unwanted touching behaviors are. 

“I think that’s a large cultural issue that needs to be addressed through psychoeducation and giving ourselves permission to validate what our bodies are telling us,” Palmieri said. 

She also noted the difference between the knowledge of a resource and the utilization of a resource. According to the survey results, students reported high levels of awareness of campus resources. Hispanic/Latina and Black women reported less knowledge about campus resources, policies and procedures surrounding sexual misconduct. 

“There’s a discrepancy in the knowledge of a resource and the utilization of a resource. A big part of that is helping people maintain autonomy in what they choose to do,” Palmieri said. “People choose to process and heal in a variety of ways. One of the biggest things that we want to make sure that people know is where confidential resources are available and what support could look like.” 

The most common reasons why students did not seek out assistance from these resources were that they were not physically injured and that they perceived their experiences to be common occurrences. 

“We have work to do to make sure that all students understand emotional harm is just as concerning and reportable as physical harm,” Aishah Casseus, director of the Title IX office at Wake Forest, said.