Home      Login

Abstract: 

Exploring one’s sexuality is part of the process of maturation, including sexual experimentation during one’s college years. It is safe to say that students will be more advanced than the older authority figures who supervise them when it comes to peer group social norms, cutting-edge slang, and, most importantly, the current sexual mores. This article surveys some of the special problems facing college administrators in dealing with sexual misconduct in the highly charged atmosphere of campus, where attitudes about sexuality and sexual behavior among young adults reflect the contradictions of powerful currents challenging gender hierarchies and the values they embody colliding with a culture saturated with decontextualized visual imagery, unvetted and often not credible online information, and bombastic commentary about sexual prowess. The article concludes with the results of a student task force that examined and was ultimately highly critical of the University of Michigan’s handling of a sexual misconduct case involving a member of the school’s football team; the task force’s conclusions were exceptionally wise and provide a useful guide for schools facing the same problems—ones no school, it seems, can avoid these days.

Keywords: Cultural Saturation of Sexuality; Easy Access to Internet Pornography; Role of Alcohol and Drugs in Reducing Inhibitions; Gender Norms; “Rape-Tolerant” Attitudes; Consent

Affiliations:  1: John Jay College of Criminal Justice.