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Education

UF Survey: Undergraduate Women, LGBTQ Students More Likely To Experience Sexual Assault In College

University of Florida
The University of Florida needs a culture change to address sexual assault, officials said after the release of a new study.

More than 30 percent of undergraduate women at the University of Florida have experienced nonconsensual sexual contact since enrolling at the school, a new survey found.

Students were either forced or unable to consent due to being asleep, passed out or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

UF reported higher numbers than the national average. A nationwide study by the Association of American Universities found that 26 percent of undergraduate women reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact.

Nearly 15 percent of transgender, non-binary or genderqueer undergraduate and graduate students at UF were assaulted.

Also, according to the report, students with disabilities and those who are not heterosexual were nearly twice as likely than their peers to have been assaulted.

“The survey results solidify that a culture change needs to be made,” UF Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Heather White said in a statement.

However, students at UF have a better understanding of sexual assault and more awareness about available resources than they did when the school participated in a similar survey four years ago.

UF — which shared its own results, separate from the national study — was one of 33 public and private universities that participated and the only one in Florida. The national study included responses from more than 180,000 students.

More than 13,000 students from South Florida are enrolled at UF, according to the most recent available data.
 
Read UF's report here:

The full national survey is here: 

Jessica Bakeman is Director of Enterprise Journalism at WLRN News, and she is the former senior news editor and education reporter. Her 2021 project "Class of COVID-19" won a national Edward R. Murrow Award.
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