Sexual Assault Data Report. Calendar Year 2024
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| Title: | Sexual Assault Data Report. Calendar Year 2024 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Christine Kim Park, Melissa Watschke, Minnesota Office of Higher Education |
| Source: | Minnesota Office of Higher Education. 2026. |
| Availability: | Minnesota Office of Higher Education. 1450 Energy Park Drive Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55108-5227. Tel: 800-657-3866; Tel: 651-642-0567; Fax: 651-642-0675; Web site: http://www.ohe.state.mn.us |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | College Students, Sexual Abuse, Violence, Prevention, College Environment, College Role, Victims of Crime, Discipline, Grievance Procedures, Tuition, School Holding Power, Incidence, Law Enforcement, Educational Trends, Trend Analysis, Referral, Costs |
| Geographic Terms: | Minnesota |
| Abstract: | A safe and supportive campus environment is essential for students' learning and personal development. Despite continued efforts to prevent sexual violence on college campuses, it remains a significant public health concern among college students. Those who experience sexual violence face an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and non-suicidal self-injury. Research consistently shows that individuals aged 18 to 24 are at a heightened risk of sexual violence and assault (College Student Health Survey Report, 2024), with even greater vulnerability among students from underrepresented communities, including American Indian and LGBTQ+ populations (Krebs et al., 2016). Minnesota's postsecondary institutions strive to provide students with a safe environment to complete educational and career goals. The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response program at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) currently supports 77 institutions across the state in sexual violence prevention and response initiatives by providing training opportunities to meet state statute obligations under 135A.151. OHE provides information on the current federal and state landscape related to sexual violence prevention and response to participating institutions as well as other state agencies, and community stakeholders in order to support institutional efforts. OHE also seeks to provide regular updates and support to minimize potential conflict between federal guidelines and state statutes and institutional processes and policies. The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response program delivered 21 education and training opportunities to more than 800 participants throughout the 2024 calendar year. Session topics included Title IX regulations, stalking prevention and awareness, threat assessment, support for student parents, e-sports and harassment, technology-enabled abuse, sexual strangulation, and the sex trade among postsecondary students. The 2024 Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Summit further advanced this work by offering virtual sessions focused on supporting Muslim victim-survivors through culturally responsive practices, trauma-informed approaches, and restorative practices for primary prevention. These education and prevention efforts occurred alongside revisions to the Minnesota statute previously referenced, which governs policy related to institutional prevention of and response to sexual misconduct. The 2024 legislative session resulted in significant revisions to the statute. Notably, the definition of sexual misconduct was expanded to include domestic violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, sexual extortion, sex trafficking, sexual harassment, nonconsensual distribution of sexual images, and the nonconsensual distribution of deepfakes depicting intimate parts or sexual acts. OHE is required by the Minnesota Legislature to publish the Sexual Assault Data Report, which includes information regarding the outcomes of sexual assault incidents reported to postsecondary institutions. The Minnesota Legislature (Minn. Stat. 135A.15) mandated this report beginning in fiscal year 2016 (data for the calendar year 2015) which requires eligible postsecondary institutions to report sexual assault incidents and the outcomes of institutional investigations, if applicable. Historical data is available in this report and online as part of the Office of Higher Education's Sexual Assault Data Report dashboard at https://ohe.mn.gov/reports/campus-sexual-assault-data. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED681142 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A safe and supportive campus environment is essential for students' learning and personal development. Despite continued efforts to prevent sexual violence on college campuses, it remains a significant public health concern among college students. Those who experience sexual violence face an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and non-suicidal self-injury. Research consistently shows that individuals aged 18 to 24 are at a heightened risk of sexual violence and assault (College Student Health Survey Report, 2024), with even greater vulnerability among students from underrepresented communities, including American Indian and LGBTQ+ populations (Krebs et al., 2016). Minnesota's postsecondary institutions strive to provide students with a safe environment to complete educational and career goals. The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response program at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) currently supports 77 institutions across the state in sexual violence prevention and response initiatives by providing training opportunities to meet state statute obligations under 135A.151. OHE provides information on the current federal and state landscape related to sexual violence prevention and response to participating institutions as well as other state agencies, and community stakeholders in order to support institutional efforts. OHE also seeks to provide regular updates and support to minimize potential conflict between federal guidelines and state statutes and institutional processes and policies. The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response program delivered 21 education and training opportunities to more than 800 participants throughout the 2024 calendar year. Session topics included Title IX regulations, stalking prevention and awareness, threat assessment, support for student parents, e-sports and harassment, technology-enabled abuse, sexual strangulation, and the sex trade among postsecondary students. The 2024 Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Summit further advanced this work by offering virtual sessions focused on supporting Muslim victim-survivors through culturally responsive practices, trauma-informed approaches, and restorative practices for primary prevention. These education and prevention efforts occurred alongside revisions to the Minnesota statute previously referenced, which governs policy related to institutional prevention of and response to sexual misconduct. The 2024 legislative session resulted in significant revisions to the statute. Notably, the definition of sexual misconduct was expanded to include domestic violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, sexual extortion, sex trafficking, sexual harassment, nonconsensual distribution of sexual images, and the nonconsensual distribution of deepfakes depicting intimate parts or sexual acts. OHE is required by the Minnesota Legislature to publish the Sexual Assault Data Report, which includes information regarding the outcomes of sexual assault incidents reported to postsecondary institutions. The Minnesota Legislature (Minn. Stat. 135A.15) mandated this report beginning in fiscal year 2016 (data for the calendar year 2015) which requires eligible postsecondary institutions to report sexual assault incidents and the outcomes of institutional investigations, if applicable. Historical data is available in this report and online as part of the Office of Higher Education's Sexual Assault Data Report dashboard at https://ohe.mn.gov/reports/campus-sexual-assault-data. |
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