2024 Yale Sexual Climate Survey

In the spring of 2024, Yale partnered with nine other institutions to run a campus sexual climate survey, endeavoring to measure the incidence and prevalence of sexual misconduct experienced by our students, as well as their awareness of and experiences with support resources, bystander intervention, and other related topics. This was the third survey of its kind conducted at Yale and administered by Westat, an external survey firm, and links to the findings of the 2015 and 2019 iterations are available on the Title IX website.

The initial round of data analyses and the data tables for the 2024 survey can be viewed below. Yale is currently reviewing these initial data analyses and will be conducting additional analyses and seeking input from the community throughout this academic year. For questions on these documents or to schedule a survey briefing for your community, please email titleix@yale.edu.

 

For information on the aggregate results from all participating institutions, please view the aggregate report available on the Westat website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Information

What is the survey about? 

The survey seeks to measure students’ attitudes about, perceptions of, and experiences regarding Yale’s sexual climate, including individual experiences of sexual misconduct, resources for support and reporting, and bystander intervention. 

Why is the survey important? 

Yale strives to be a safe, respectful community—one where sexual misconduct is prevented wherever possible, and appropriately addressed if it does occur. The more we know about the patterns and dynamics of sexual misconduct on campus, the more effective we will be in our efforts to combat it. Gathering data about the broader climate also helps us understand current community perceptions, skills, and strategies.

How will Yale use the data? 

The survey results will help us assess and improve our programs, policies, and strategies related to both sexual misconduct prevention and response. The 2015 and 2019 survey results also raised community awareness and increased community engagement in efforts to eliminate sexual misconduct on our campus; we hope this will be true again with the 2024 results.

Will Yale make the survey findings public? 

Yes. The findings from the 2015 and 2019 survey are available here. Yale’s 2024 survey results will be released this fall.  

What changed at Yale after the 2015 and 2019 surveys? 

Yale’s survey data, as well as the survey itself, prompted intense community conversation and engagement. Significantly more community members have sought out and participated in sexual misconduct prevention and response training. We have also seen a substantial increase in sexual misconduct reports. Orientation programming and bystander intervention training have expanded and evolved, especially in the graduate and professional schools; prevention and response work has intensified in Yale College as well. A new online module with foundational information about Yale’s resources and bystander intervention has been added to our training programs. The SHARE Center has grown, adding new staff and expertise.    

Why is Yale conducting the survey again?  

Campus climate changes over time. The 2015 and 2019 survey provided us baseline data and follow-up results, increasing community engagement and leading to improvements in resources to address sexual misconduct in our community. Issuing the survey again allows us to identify trends and adapt our approaches.  

Beyond taking the survey, how can I help? 

Combatting sexual misconduct is the work of the whole community. To learn more about ways you can be involved, click here.  

Taking the survey

Why should I participate? 

The survey will be used to shape policies and resources that affect everyone on campus, so it is very important to gather the experiences and viewpoints of everyone. The more we hear from the full range of students, the more accurate and balanced our results will be. It’s particularly important that we hear from those who are typically underrepresented in sexual misconduct research: men, LGBTQ students, students of color, non-binary students, and graduate and professional school students.  

The survey will be available to all current students from April 2nd through April 30th. No one is required to participate, but we hope that everyone does. Once you have taken the survey yourself, encourage your friends to take it too! 

What steps are being taken to protect confidentiality? 

The survey is being developed and administered by Westat, the independent firm that also worked with the AAU on the 2015 and 2019 survey. Westat provides an individualized survey link for each student. When students respond to this survey, the link between their responses and their name, email, and IP address is broken. In addition, Westat will conduct a formal disclosure analysis on the dataset to minimize any risks of identifying students using indirect identifiers.  

The data that arrive at Yale will be anonymous. Survey results will be released only in summary form so no individual can be identified. However, if you provide identifying information in an open text box, the Title IX Office may follow up with you when Yale reviews those responses in July 2024.  

Why are students asked to log in with their NetID? 

The survey vendor, Westat, has provided Yale with individualized survey links for each student at Yale. The purpose of the NetID log in is to deliver the individualized survey links to students. NetID is not linked to survey responses. When a student clicks on their individualized survey link, they enter the survey which is managed by Westat.  

What will I be asked about in the survey?  

Once you click on your individualized survey link, you will be taken to the online survey site and guided through a series of questions. You may skip any question you are not comfortable answering (with the exception of the initial age verification) and may exit the survey at any time. You can move forward and backward through the survey. If you are not able to complete the survey in one sitting, you can save your progress and return later.

The survey questions ask about: 

  • your demographics
  • your perceptions of campus climate, risk, and resources 
  • your personal experiences of sexual misconduct since becoming a student at Yale (stalking, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault) 
  • your experiences with bystander intervention 

Like most other surveys of complex experiences, the questions use descriptive language to ask about specific behavior. This direct language can sometimes feel awkward or uncomfortable, but descriptions are the best way to make sure that the questions are clear.    

Is the survey gender-neutral? 

Yes. Sexual misconduct can occur in any gender configuration, and the descriptions of specific forms of sexual misconduct are worded accordingly. The survey does ask about gender identity, offering a range of choices; like all questions, you can skip them if you prefer.  

How long will it take? 

In pre-testing, the survey took an average of 20 minutes to complete. If you report experiences of campus sexual misconduct, you will be asked follow-up questions, which may take an additional 10 minutes to complete.  

Will the survey be upsetting?  

The sensitive topics included in this survey can be difficult to think about for some people. The questions have been constructed with care and people may also find it empowering to record their experiences and ideas. Survey-takers may well find themselves wanting to talk to others about their experiences—and some will find that they want to seek out support, and perhaps consider taking action. A link for “Support Resources” appears on every page of the survey, with Yale contacts as well as national support services. We have included a variety of resources so people can choose to contact the one(s) that seem most helpful. At Yale, the SHARE Center is always available to you, any time of the day or night, every day of the year: (203) 432-2000. 

Where do I find my survey? 

If you are a current Yale student, you should have received a survey invitation from President Peter Salovey via your Yale email. Please, fill out your survey now to help make Yale’s data as complete as possible. 

This survey was sent on April 2nd to all current students, including those on leaves of absence and studying in absentia. (Yale College has a small handful of students who are under 18 and thus cannot participate; those students were notified separately.) If you cannot find your survey invitation, write to titleix@yale.edu for help. 

Survey design & administration

Who designed the survey? 

The survey was developed by Westat, a leading social science research firm, in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary team of campus representatives from Yale and peer institutions.  

Was the survey approved by an institutional review board?  

The survey has been reviewed and approved by the Westat IRB, which serves as the IRB of record for the administration of this survey at Yale. 

Are students offered incentives to participate? 

Yes. As is common with such surveys, modest material incentives will be offered to encourage student participation. Westat created a stratified random sample of five thousand Yale students, who were each offered to choose from (a) a $10 visa gift card, or (b) $10 donation to one of three not-for-profit organizations, as an incentive for participation. This method allows the Westat researchers to conduct more nuanced analysis of potential nonresponse bias in the survey results. 

 When will the survey instrument become public?  

The survey instrument – the survey questions and display logic – will be in the public domain after it is administered on all participating campuses.  

Survey results

How will the data be analyzed?  

Westat will use rigorous statistical techniques to analyze the data from all Yale students. As with the 2015 and 2019 survey, Yale will release comprehensive analysis to the community. 

Who will receive the results of the survey?  

Westat will analyze the data and generate a findings report, which Yale will receive and share with the community. Yale will also receive a datafile of anonymized survey responses.   

What kind of data will Yale release?  

Yale plans to release the survey findings in a public report next fall. Like prior climate assessments, the report will not share identifying information. The survey findings will become an important part of our community conversations and strategies.  

How will Yale protect confidentiality in reporting the results? 

Yale will not release individual survey records, nor will we report on very small demographic clusters. All identifiers will be removed from Yale’s unit record data before Westat provides the dataset to Yale. However, if you provide identifying information in a text box, Yale may be obligated to follow up when it reviews those responses in July 2024.     

Additional resources

What else is Yale doing about sexual misconduct?   

Yale devotes extensive resources and attention to addressing and preventing sexual misconduct on campus. The Title IX at Yale website summarizes our key resources and links to more detailed information.  

Yale’s first-line responder is the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response & Education Center (SHARE), which offers information, advocacy, and support to community members dealing with sexual misconduct of any kind. SHARE assists individuals who are dealing with acute and recent experiences, as well as experiences from their past. They also support individuals whose friends, family or loved ones have experienced sexual misconduct. SHARE operates a 24-hour hotline and daytime drop-in services, offers individual and group sessions, and advocates for people as they seek out medical, disciplinary, and legal processes through the Yale Police, the Title IX Coordinators, the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct (the UWC), or in the broader community. 

At the undergraduate level, the Communication and Consent Educators (CCEs) work throughout the year to help their peers create safe, strong, respectful communities; this includes mandatory workshops for the entire first-year and sophomore classes. 

What should I do if I’ve experienced sexual misconduct at Yale?  

Individuals’ experiences vary widely, as do individual needs, but sexual misconduct can have a profound impact. You do not need to cope with this alone. SHARE is a wonderful first place to seek help and support, as well as to consider pursuing disciplinary and criminal processes. SHARE’s services are completely confidential and available 24/7.  Other resources (accessible directly, or facilitated by SHARE) include the Yale Police, the Title IX Coordinators, the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct (the UWC), and Yale Health. At Yale, you have choices about what to do and when—and many people to explain the options, answer your questions, and support you along the way. 

I still have questions. Where can I get more information? 

If you have any questions about this survey, you can call Westat’s survey Help Desk at (800) 230-8586. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, you can call the Westat IRB at (888) 920-7631. 

Yale’s Title IX Office is also able to answer many questions. Email us at titleix@yale.edu or call (203) 432-4446.