By Danielle Goodman
In response to national attention and the high-profile mishandling of rape cases, the University of Texas has announced that it will conduct a $1.7 million study on the widespread issue of campus sexual assault.
According to Huffington Post, the components of the study are:
- Starting this fall, the university will begin surveying a random sample of students at various campuses to understand the prevalence of sexual assault.
- On four campuses — El Paso, Arlington, Austin, and UT Medical Branch at Galveston — UT will use focus groups and surveys of faculty, staff, law enforcement, administrators, and students to get varying perspectives on how these crimes are reported, and what happens after they are.
- The study will also examine the economic impact on survivors, as well as members of the community, the school, and taxpayers.
- The final phase will be a four-year study of a cohort of UT Austin students, including victims and non-victims, to look at how attitude, knowledge, and experience changes during their college careers.
UT hopes this historic study leads to a better understanding of the issues that interfere with reporting, improves the way campuses handle sexual assault complaints, and sheds new light on economic and societal impacts.
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