Northeastern is committed to data-informed sexual violence prevention, response, and intervention measures. As a part of our ongoing prevention work, we have conducted campus sexual misconduct surveys since 2014. These efforts help to assess the incidence and prevalence of sexual violence on campus, to understand the experiences of survivors and barriers to accessing resources, and to determine needs around sexual violence prevention, response, and education for the community going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was included in these surveys?
The 2023-2024 survey was administered to a random, representative sample of full-time Northeastern undergraduate, graduate, and law students on our Boston campus. This survey follows recommendations and requirements from the Massachusetts 2021 Campus Sexual Assault Law. We are working to adapt the survey to align with other state and country regulations to send future iterations of this assessment to students in other locations.
Each survey details the population, sampling structure and response rate.
Can you compare the survey data from year to year?
While many survey questions from the 2023-2024 survey mirror those from prior years, more were added or updated to comply with the Massachusetts 2021 Campus Sexual Assault Law. Given the new questions and a switch from a census sample to a random sample of students, this data is not directly comparable to prior years.
Are the results of these surveys generalizable?
Due to the sampling structure and sufficient participation rate, the results of the 2023-2024 survey are generalizable to our full-time Boston student body for the first time in the survey’s history. The results of prior surveys are not generalizable.
Why wasn’t there a survey in 2022-2023?
After many years of conducting an annual survey, we moved to an every other year cadence to prevent survey fatigue and to allow more time to utilize the results of the data.