Iowa study should open IU's eyes

A study released by the University of Iowa reported that on its campus, two-thirds of its respondents had been victims of sexual harassment-like behavior in the past 10 years. The kicker? Only about 6 percent reported it. \nThose surveyed were asked about eight types of behavior which might constitute sexual harassment. Fifty-two percent reported that they had experienced one or more of the eight categories, but when asked explicitly if they had been sexually harassed in the last 10 years at the University of Iowa, 62 percent said no. Of those who had been harassed, more than half said they were unaware of the current procedure for registering a complaint.\nThe study focuses on the University of Iowa only, but the implications on a larger scale are easy to see. Sexual harassment is, and will likely continue to be, a problem nationwide. The point here, though, is that while this type of behavior is common, it goes largely unreported. Reporting it carries a stigma, and people are often reluctant to label unwelcome behavior as sexual harassment. The Iowa study highlights this and creates important possibilities for campuses across the country. \nIf more people are aware that sexual harassment is this common, more will be likely to report it, or more importantly, to become aware of their own behavior. It's a double-edged sword, though -- if more people report sexual harassment, the statistics will appear to report an increase. But this is the point where we all remember that the purpose of sexual harassment policies aren't created to feed the statistics machine, but rather to improve a given community.\nFor the record, IU's sexual harassment policy is easy to find: www.indiana.edu/~affirm/pdf/sexualha.pdf. It's only two pages long, is pretty user-friendly and includes lucid, usable definitions of sexual harassment. For that, we say, go Hoosiers! \nBut we also hope the Iowa study makes an impact here in Bloomington. Transparency is always a goal, and increased knowledge about what constitutes sexual harassment, increased awareness of University policy and general conscientiousness about appropriateness will only work toward making IU a better community. \nThe first, and most hard-hitting recommendation in the Iowa study, read, "It is critical that the University of Iowa dedicate energy and resources toward ensuring that its community knows about, understands, and feels free to use its sexual harassment policy and procedures."\nWe believe that IU is a great community, but any steps that can be taken to make it inclusive and caring should be taken. Let's take home the lessons of the Iowa study and work together toward making IU the best it can be.