Examining institutional responses to power-based sexual misconduct: Higher education after #MeToo

在过去的一年里，#MeToo运动引起了全世界对机构应如何解决性骚扰问题的关注。性骚扰，或在本研究中使用的术语，性行为不端，既是性别不平等的原因和后果，并导致严重和持续的影响，不仅对那些谁的经验，而且对他们周围的人。这项研究将记录和评估正在进行的干预措施，以解决这个问题，在一个有影响力的网站：高等教育。它将重点关注英格兰，美国和澳大利亚高等教育（HE）工作人员的性行为不端，以促进学术界内外机构如何解决这一问题的修订，创新模式。为了做到这一点，PI将利用她在这一领域的创新工作，作为1752集团的董事，这是一个研究和游说团体，致力于解决高等教育工作人员的性行为不端问题。她以前在这方面的工作一直处于这一领域新一轮研究的前沿，这一研究已经在英国高等教育领域产生了影响。这以前的研究涉及映射和描述工作人员性行为不端的问题在高等教育，这个新项目将建立在通过以前的研究和她正在进行的工作与高等教育部门获得的专业知识，专注于解决这个问题，并扩大她的研究到另外两个网站，澳大利亚和美国，研究机构正在做什么来解决工作人员性行为不端和探索新的方法。这将通过一项国际多地点定性研究来进行，该研究将对学术界内外目前正在进行的体制改革作出重大贡献。这项研究涉及四个方面。首先，PI将在两个研究领域内进行文献综述，这些研究领域可以阐明解决HE中性行为不端的机制：机构环境中的儿童性虐待和工作场所性骚扰。第二，文献分析和采访的关键利益相关者在美国和澳大利亚的创新实践正在进行的六个机构将阐明如何在英国高等教育机构可以改善他们对这个问题的反应。第三，与英格兰的四个案例研究机构合作，这些机构的工作人员性行为不端的风险很高（研究密集型和表演艺术机构），将进行重点小组讨论，以探讨学生-包括重要的性暴力幸存者-在高等教育机构过程和工作人员的专业界限方面的经验。第四，在英国的案例研究机构中，文件分析和与主要利益相关者的访谈将确定正在进行的工作中需要解决的特殊问题或差距，并将根据PI在该领域的先前研究进行批判性评估。这些研究结果将有助于制定一个国家框架，以解决工作人员的性行为不端，在他在英国。PI与该领域的部门机构，机构和国际合作伙伴有着良好的联系，这些联系以及研究的及时性将有助于确保这项研究也产生很大的影响。除其他活动外，将通过与四个案例研究机构建立关系、举办知识共享活动和国际会议、出版一个解决问题工具包来发挥这一影响。学术出版物将提交给主要的高等教育、性别和社会学期刊。总的来说，这项研究将导致高等教育机构实施更雄心勃勃，创新和循证预防战略;提高工作人员性行为不端的报告率;并为处理报告做好更充分的机构准备。这最终将使这些机构成为更安全、更平等的工作和学习场所。

Over the last year, the #MeToo movement has led to worldwide attention towards the issue of how institutions should tackle sexual harassment. Sexual harassment, or in the terminology used in this research, sexual misconduct, is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality, and leads to severe and ongoing impacts not only for those who experience it but also for those around them. This study will document and assess ongoing interventions into how to address this issue in one influential site: higher education. It will focus on sexual misconduct by staff in higher education (HE) in England, the US, and Australia, in order to contribute to revised, innovative models of how institutions within and outside academia should tackle this issue. In order to do this, the PI will draw on her innovative work in this area as director of The 1752 Group, a research and lobby group that addresses staff sexual misconduct in HE. Her previous work on this topic has been at the forefront of a new wave of research in this area that has already been impactful in the UK HE sector. This previous research has involved mapping and describing the problem of staff sexual misconduct in HE, and this new project will build on the expertise gained through this previous research and her ongoing work with the HE sector to focus on solutions to this issue and to expand her research to two further sites, Australia and the US, examining what institutions are doing to address staff sexual misconduct and exploring new approaches. This will be carried out through an international multi-sited qualitative study that will make a major contribution to institutional reforms currently underway within and outside academia. The research involves four strands. First, the PI will carry out a literature review within two research areas that can shed light on mechanisms to address sexual misconduct in HE: child sexual abuse in institutional settings, and workplace sexual harassment. Second, documentary analysis and interviews with key stakeholders in six institutions in the US and Australia where innovative practice is being carried out will illuminate how HE institutions in the UK can improve their responses to this issue. Third, working with four case study institutions in England where there is a heightened risk of staff sexual misconduct (research intensive and performing arts institutions), focus groups will be carried out to explore students' - including, crucially, sexual violence survivors' - experiences of institutional processes and professional boundaries with staff in higher education. Fourth, within the English case study institutions, documentary analysis and interviews with key stakeholders will identify particular issues or gaps in ongoing work that need to be addressed and these will be critically evaluated drawing on the PI's previous research in this area. These findings will contribute to the development of a national framework for addressing staff sexual misconduct in HE in the UK. The PI is well connected with sector bodies, institutions, and international partners in this area, and these connections, as well as the timeliness of the research will help to ensure that this research also has a high impact. This impact will be carried out through building relationships with the four case study institutions; through running knowledge-sharing events and an international conference; and through publishing a trouble-shooting toolkit, among other activities. Academic publications will be submitted to leading higher education, gender and sociology journals. Overall, this research will lead to higher education institutions implementing more ambitious, innovative, and evidence-based prevention strategies; to increased reporting rates for staff sexual misconduct; and to greater institutional preparedness for dealing with reports. This will ultimately make these institutions safer and more equal places to work and study.