To Blow the Whistle: The Aftermath of Reporting LGBTQIA+‐Based Sexual Violence in Higher Education

Sexual violence is a public health issue with health consequences, and it remains widely underreported. This study examines what LGBTQ+ students in higher education indicate happened after they disclosed a sexual violence incident to higher education officials. We conducted a secondary analysis of four independent, repeated cross‐sectional administrations (2016–2019) of the Point Foundation's Access to Higher Education Survey, a 179‐item instrument fielded to LGBTQ+ scholarship applicants. Analyses were descriptive, supplemented by chi‐square tests of whether the likelihood of reporting varied by type of violence within each year. Across all 4 years, the large majority of experiences of every type went unreported. Reporting was uncommon throughout: 14.8% of experiences were reported in 2016 (62 of 418), 15.2% in 2017 (82 of 539), 10.8% in 2018 (40 of 370), and 9.3% in 2019 (37 of 400). Reporting did not vary significantly by type of violence in any year ( χ 2 (5) = 4.75, p = 0.447; 7.24, p = 0.204; 5.99, p = 0.307; and 1.39, p = 0.926, respectively; Cramér's V = 0.06–0.13). Sexual assault was reported by 12.5% to 25.5% of those who experienced it, statistically indistinguishable from unwanted sexual remarks (9.4% to 13.9%). The resulting pattern of perceived institutional nonresponse suggests that institutions consider mandated supporting policies, third‐party reporting options, trauma‐informed response training, and dedicated resources for LGBTQ+ survivors.