Sexual Misconduct Policies in Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Method Analysis of In-Person and Online Behaviors and Consequences.

Abstract

Background: As students' use of mobile devices during school hours continues to increase, cyberbullying and online sexual harassment now occur during school hours, on school grounds via personal devices. Despite this growing reality, there is little knowledge about secondary school efforts to address it.

Methods: To understand what is needed to construct or reform policies that reflect students' online experiences, we used a mixed method approach to identify and analyze language (e.g., definitions, disciplinary measures) in sexual misconduct policy documents from a large, representative sample of secondary school districts in a midwestern state.

Results: Although few districts (14.7%) maintained separate or distinct policy documents related to sexual misconduct, the majority (80.9%) defined sexual harassment within a policy document, most commonly within broader codes of conduct or student handbooks. Only 14.1% of districts maintained cyberbullying policies containing information on online sexual misconduct, and approximately one third of districts included discussion of any form of online sexual misconduct within any policy documents.

Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: Secondary school administrators should address the ever-growing occurrence of online sexual misconduct (and its impact on students) by expanding sexual misconduct policies that detail how online misconduct will not be tolerated and how survivors of digital sexual violence (e.g., image-based sexual abuse) will be protected.