"How Is a Student to Know Who They Can Talk To?": University Website Communication about Sexual Assault in the Context of Compelled Disclosure

• Published in: Review of higher education Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 373 - 406
• Main Authors: Eno, Jared P, Armstrong, Elizabeth A, Levitsky, Sandra R, Kennon, Katelyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Johns Hopkins University Press 01-03-2023
• Subjects: Access to Information; College Students; Confidentiality; Educational Legislation; Federal Legislation; Information Dissemination; Legal Responsibility; Resources; Self Disclosure (Individuals); Sexual Abuse; Victims of Crime; Web Sites
• ISSN: 0162-5748
• DOI: 10.1353/rhe.2023.0003

Compelled disclosure policies require many U.S. higher education employees to report all disclosures of sexual violence. These federally mandated policies make it important that student-survivors understand the implications of disclosures. We analyzed how university websites communicated information about compelled disclosure to students in 2017 and 2022, finding that websites (1) often lacked information about compelled disclosure policies, (2) discussed confidentiality in inaccurate or confusing ways, and (3) did not clearly indicate when access to resources was contingent upon reporting. In both university policy and website design, administrators should recognize that web communication about reporting and available resources may facilitate and/ or impede a survivor's ability to make agentic choices. Administrators should seek to design websites that prioritize survivor agency and control. Because a survivor's path to healing may not involve formal reporting, this means that transparent communication about compelled disclosure policies and visible access to confidential resources are key.