WashU released the results of a survey this morning detailing lower numbers of sexual assault and harassment on campus compared to statistics from five years ago.

In the 2024 survey, the student response rate was 12.5%, down from 16.9% in 2019. Key findings, as reported by The Source, include the fact that 26.9% of undergraduate women surveyed reported experiencing sexual assault since entering WashU, compared to 35.1% in 2019. 

Alongside nine other universities, WashU participated in the Higher Education Sexual Misconduct and Awareness survey, which was available during the spring 2024 semester to any student obtaining a degree at WashU. These findings built upon the results of the Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct which was conducted and released in 2019. 

Additionally, rates of sexual assault were higher for undergraduate students than graduate students. The impact of harassment played a bigger role for students who identify as nonbinary, transgender, or questioning. 47.1% of students holding those identities reported that they had experienced sexual harassment that created an intimidating or offensive environment, compared to 20.2% of the entire student body. 

While many students on campus shared that they had experienced sexual assault or harassment, only 13.2% of these students said that they had contacted a WashU resource for support afterwards. 

According to The Source, WashU’s data largely aligns with data reported by the other universities whose students took the survey. 

Beverley Wendland, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, told The Source that the data informs University policy surrounding issues of assault and harassment. 

“Sexual assault and harassment are among the most difficult topics we face as a campus community, but we are committed to doing everything we can to mitigate and ultimately reduce the number of incidents that take place,” Wendland said. 

Dr. Anna “Dr. G” Gonzalez, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, noted that although there is a lower incidence of assault for undergraduate women, the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected the statistic. 

“We also know some students who completed the survey were remote for a portion of their time at WashU due to COVID, which might have had an impact on the incidence rate,” Gonzalez told The Source. 

Gonzalez added that she still believes there is work to do to prevent sexual violence. 

“It’s clear there are improvements that can and should be made, especially when it comes to awareness about the support and prevention programs WashU currently offers,” she said. 

The Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline (S.A.R.A.H) provides confidential and anonymous support and can be reached at 314-935-8080 24 /7 during the fall and spring academic semesters.

There are counselors at the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Center, located in Seigle Hall, Suite 435, available confidentially to any University student. The office can be reached at tel:314-935-3445 or by email at mailto:[email protected].

The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at tel:1-800-656-4673 or via online chat at https://hotline.rainn.org/online 24/7.