Selected Research and Resources About Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence, Title IX, and More
Essential Fact Sheets for Students
- Students Still Have Title IX Rights Even Without the 2024 Biden Title IX Rule (National Women’s Law Center, 2025)
- Frequently Asked Privacy-Related Questions About Filing a Complaint with OCR (U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2024)
- Frequently asked questions on Title IX and supportive measures for K-12 students (National Women’s Law Center, 2021)
- Cyberbullying and Sexual Harassment: FAQs About Cyberbullying and Title IX. This fact sheet explains what cyberbullying is and how schools should respond to cyberbullying in and out of school. (National Women’s Law Center)
- How Families Should Work With Title IX Coordinators. Practical tips created by the Feminist Majority Foundation for SSAIS. (2016)
- Title IX Coordinators: Key to Fighting Sex Discrimination in Education. Discusses how to renew efforts to increase the ranks of effective and independent Title IX Coordinators and support them as equity leaders. (Feminist Majority Foundation, 2015)
- Public school districts and elementary and secondary schools must submit data (including the number of reported incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence) to the biennial Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) maintained by the Office for Civil Rights. Read their latest data snapshot Sexual Violence and Sex-based Harassment or Bullying in U.S. Public Schools During the 2020-21 School Year. (November, 2023)
U.S. Dept. of Education Resources
- Civil Rights Protections Against Retaliation (U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2024)
- Frequently Asked Privacy-Related Questions About Filing a Complaint with OCR (U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2024)
- Recommendations for Educational Institutions on Preventing and Responding to Sexual and Dating Violence (Task Force on Sexual Violence in Education, 2024)
- Title IX Coordinator lookup tool
U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights
- Justice Denied: How Trump’s Office for Civil Rights Reached a 12-Year Low in Protecting Students from Discrimination. This report is part of an ongoing effort by Bernie Sanders to hold the Trump administration accountable for its systematic dismantling of civil rights enforcement at the Department of Education. (Office of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, 2026)
- Demanding Department of Education Action on Student Sexual Violence Complaints Under Title IX. The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), with nine survivor advocacy organizations, including Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kim Richey, demanding that the Department of Education fulfill its duties under Title IX by investigating and equitably resolving all sexual violence complaints pending at the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The letter was joined by over 100 groups that advocate for survivors of sexual violence. (2026)
State-level Resources
- The State of Civil Rights for Students and Schools (National Center for Youth Law)
- State-Specific FAQs (Victim Rights Law Center)
- Tracker: State Legislation on Intimate Deepfakes (Public Citizen)
- Know Your Rights: A Student’s Guide to Sex-based Discrimination and Protections by State (Legal Momentum, 2025)
- States Can Strengthen Legal Protections for Students Against Harassment. (NWLC, 2025) This fact sheet explains how states can protect students from harassment based on sex, race, disability, and more, so that students do not have to rely on harsh federal standards.
- The SAFER Act: Protecting students & school staff from harassment. (NWLC, 2026) Elizabeth Tang, Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, presents the SAFER Act to SASH Club Online, Students Against Sexual Harassment.
- State Departments of Education Contact Information
Latest Federal Title IX Regulations
- Students Still Have Title IX Rights Even Without the 2024 Biden Title IX Rule (National Women’s Law Center, 2025)
- 2020 Amendments to the Title IX Regulations
- Abandoned Priorities and Cases in Limbo: An Analysis of Title IX Enforcement in the First Year of Trump’s Second Term (The Center for WorkLife Law, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, 2026)
Current Title IX Guidance and Supportive Measures
- How Schools Can Take Steps to Effectively Address Sexual Harassment While Complying with the Trump Title IX Rule (National Women’s Law Center, 2025)
- Frequently Asked Questions on Title IX and Supportive Measures for K-12 Students (National Women’s Law Center, 2021)
- Students Still Have Title IX Rights Even Without the 2024 Biden Title IX Rule (National Women’s Law Center, 2025)
Sexual Violence Coalitions
- State Sexual Assault Coalitions: listing of websites and social media
- National Directory of Sexual Violence Coalitions. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has an online directory that highlights organizations and projects working to eliminate sexual violence.
Research and Surveys on Youth Sexual Violence
- Similarities and Differences Between Bullying and Sexual Harassment in Schools: A Social-Ecological Review of Risk and Protective Factors. Bullying and sexual harassment in K–12 schools share many of the same causes and risk factors, and are closely connected forms of harm rather than separate problems. Schools should address them together using comprehensive, community-wide prevention efforts instead of treating them separately. (Behavioral Science, 2025)
- Preventing Sexual Violence: A Behavioral Problem Without a Behaviorally Informed Solution. The dominant approach to reducing sexual violence is to attempt to change people’s attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge. Does that method succeed in changing behavior? (Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2024)
- Title IX Policy Implementation and Sexual Harassment Prevalence in K-12 Schools. Do school districts with student-reported policies and mate-
rials have lower rates of sexual harassment? (Educational Policy, 2023) - Youth sexual violence social norms survey (Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, 2023)
- Special issue introduction: Sexual harassment among young people (Journal of Social Issues, 2023)
- National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. This report provides data for states to help them better understand the extent of intimate partner, sexual violence, and stalking and to inform state and national efforts to better prevent this violence and support victims when it occurs. (Centers for Disease Control, 2023) Full report
- Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report 2013-2023. Provides data on health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the United States. (Centers for Disease Control, 2024) Data Summary and Trends Report
- Sexual harassment widespread in schools (Investigative Reporting Workshop, 2022). Data reported by Virginia K-12 educators over a five-year period.
- Sexual Violence in K-12 Schools. This report by the U.S. Department of Education draws on data from the 2017-2018 Civil Rights Data Collection.
- School climate tolerant of sexual harassment is indirectly related to academic disengagement through peer sexual harassment and feeling safe in high school girls. (Journal of Social Issues, 2019)
- Sexual Harassment and Assault in the K-12 Workplace. Results of an online survey of K-12 teachers and administrators about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault in the school workplace. (Education Week 2018)
- Perpetual Violence is not a “Best Practice:” The Intervention and Prevention of Peer-on-Peer Sexual Harassment at Berkeley High School. This honors thesis by Morgan Hartig explores the disparity between how Berkeley Unified School District perceives the adequacy of their interventions to improve the Berkeley High School school climate and the reality of the intervention outcomes as they impact students. (Unpublished honors thesis, UC Berkeley, 2018)
- Sexual Assault by Fellow Students: 17,000 Reports in 4 Years, AP Investigation Finds. A yearlong investigation by The Associated Press uncovered roughly 17,000 official reports of sex assaults by students over a four-year period. (AP, 2017)
- Hidden horror of school sex assaults revealed by AP. Another in the AP investigative series on K-12 sexual assault. (AP, 2017)
- Kindergarteners among youngest schoolhouse assault victims. One of the AP investigative reports on K-12 sexual assault. (AP, 2017)
- Let Her Learn: Stopping School Pushout for Girls Who Have Suffered Harassment and Sexual Violence. This report delves into the data on girls who are victims of harassment and sexual violence, examines the impact it has on their education, and offers solutions to better serve and support them in schools. (National Women’s Law Center, 2017)
- The Complexities of Sexual Consent Among College Students: A Conceptual and Empirical Review. Reviews the conceptual challenges of defining sexual consent and the empirical research on how young people navigate sexual consent in their daily lives. (The Journal of Sex Research, 2016)
- Statistics About Sexual Violence. This webpage summarizes national surveys on sexual violence and child sexual abuse in the U.S., cost and impact studies, and crime reports. (RAINN).
- Incapacitated and Forcible Rape of College Women: Prevalence Across the First Year. This study demonstrates that a precollege history of sexual assault, particularly incapacitated rape, predicts revictimization, increasing the odds of both incapacitated rape and forcible rape in the first year of college. (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2015)
- Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Experiences Among Middle School Youth. This study presents evidence that middle school youth have experienced a wide range of upsetting sexual violence experiences that seem to be unaddressed by adults in these schools. (AERA, 2014)
- Normalizing Sexual Violence: Young Women Account for Harassment and Abuse. This study discusses how sexual violence is produced, maintained, and normalized among youth. (Gender & Society, 2014)
- Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School. This report presents new evidence on sexual harassment, including cyber-harassment, in middle and high schools. It confirms that sexual harassment remains an unfortunate part of school culture, affecting the educational experiences of millions of students, especially girls. (AAUW, 2011)
- Institutional Betrayal and Betrayal Blindness. University of Oregon Department of Psychology researchers Carly Smith and Jennifer Freyd have developed the Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire (IBQ) to measure institutional betrayal regarding sexual assault.
- #MeTooK12: Impact and reach. Lists by category publications that reference the #MeTooK12 campaign, launched in 2018.
- Adolescents’ Experiences of Sexual Assault by Peers: Prevalence and Nature of Victimization Occurring Within and Outside of School. This study examined adolescent peer-on-peer sexual assault victimization occurring within and outside school. (Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2009)
Research on LGBTQ+ Students
- The 2019 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth in Our Nation’s Schools. The GLSEN annual climate survey charts the school experiences of LGBTQ youth in schools, including the extent of the challenges that they face at school and the school-based resources that support LGBTQ students’ well-being. (GLSEN, 2017)
- Health Risks Among Sexual Minority Youth. The first nationally representative study on the health risks of U.S. lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016)
- A Hidden Crisis Including the LGBT Community When Addressing Sexual Violence on College Campuses. This brief argues for the need for more data if schools are to understand the impact of sexual assault on the LGBT community. (Center for American Progress, 2014)
- Title IX: An Imperfect but Vital Tool To Stop Bullying of LGBT Students. Federal courts and agencies are increasingly holding school districts accountable under Title IX when schools fail to protect LGBT students from gender-based bullying. (Yale Law Review, 2016)
- The Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway in Early Adolescence. Study shows that bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing were significant predictors of sexual harassment perpetration over time. (Centers for Disease Control, 2008).
Research and Resources on School Employee Abuse
- Organizational Betrayal: How Schools Enable Sexual Misconduct and How to Stop It. By Professor Charol Shakeshaft (2024).
- Pledge of Silence: Sex Abuse and Cover-Up in America’s Schools (CBS Reports, 2023). CBS documentary about school staff abuse in the Redlands, CA School District.
- An epidemic of sexual abuse in schools (Business Insider, 2023). In-depth investigative reporting on how poor investigations, hushed resignations, and a culture of secrecy protect predators.
- Study of State Policies to Prohibit Aiding and Abetting Sexual Misconduct in Schools (U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2022). Details how states approach preventing abusive teachers from reoffending.
- What Parents Need to Know About Educator Sexual Misconduct with Students. Fact sheet from the National Children’s Advocacy Center.
- Know the Warning Signs of Educator Sexual Misconduct. Professor Charol Shakeshaft explains how to recognize and respond to suspicious patterns of behavior.
- Prevention and Response: Recommendations for Independent School Leaders from the Independent School Task Force on Educator Sexual Misconduct. Report from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS).
- Educator Sexual Misconduct Remains Prevalent in Schools. A new study uses a large sample from recent high school graduates in four U.S. states. It offers updated data on the nature and scope of sexual misconduct in educational settings.
- Bad apples: How a culture of covering up sex abuse at public schools is hurting children — and costing taxpayers millions. A year-long investigation by the Southern California News Group — based on nearly 1,900 pages of documents and more than 100 hours of recorded police interviews — revealed a more than decade-long pattern of covering up sex abuse allegations.
- A Case Study of K-12 School Employee Sexual Misconduct: Lessons Learned from Title IX Policy Implementation. Researchers collected data from 92 participants (41 interviews and 10 focus groups), as well as a review of documentation and policies, in five geographically and demographically diverse districts. All five districts experienced an incident of school employee sexual misconduct in 2014; the data were collected in 2016–2017.
- Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature. Groundbreaking study of educator sexual misconduct prepared for the U.S. Dept. of Education by professor Charol Shakeshaft.
Research by Bruce Taylor and Nan Stein
- Shifting Boundaries: Lessons on Relationships for Students in Middle School (2018)
- Effectiveness of “Shifting Boundaries” Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program for Subgroups of Middle School Students (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2015)
- Stop Pretending Sexual Assault Can’t Happen in Your School (Education Week)
Amicus briefs and advocacy
- L.F.V. v. South Philadelphia High School and Philadelphia School District. This case centers on whether a school district in Pennsylvania can be held liable for the sexual assault of a student by peers due to negligent supervision. (2026)
VCU Capstone Research: Safe Schools
Capstone research project by Virginia Commonwealth University doctoral students in partnerships with SSAIS.
Addressing Misogyny and Gender-Based Bigotry
- Addressing the Rise and Impact of Misogyny Among Students in Grades 6-12 (slides for the webinar presentation to the Share My Lesson annual virtual conference, March 2025)
- Not Just a Joke: Understanding & Preventing Gender- & Sexuality-Based Bigotry (Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab [PERIL] and Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC], 2024)
- Researchers report stunning surge of misogyny post-election (PBS News Hour, 2024)
- Research by Research by Stephanie Wescott and Steven Roberts, Monash University
School Staff Sexual Misconduct
- Title IX Policy Implementation and Sexual Harassment Prevalence in K-12 Schools (Educational Policy, 2023)
- Understanding and Preventing Sexual Misconduct and Abuse by K–12 School Employees (Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct, and Exploitation National Center, Educator Sexual Abuse White Paper, 2025)
White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault
- Considerations for School District Sexual Misconduct Policies. This document highlights a number of issues that could be particularly helpful for districts to consider when drafting sexual misconduct policies as part of their overall response to sexual misconduct.
- Sample Language and Definitions of Prohibited Conduct for a School’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. Provides sample language and definitions of key terms for schools to consider when developing its sexual misconduct policy, and definitions for prohibited conduct under that policy.
- Sample Language for Reporting and Confidentially Disclosing Sexual Violence. This guide highlights important elements for institutions to consider when drafting an effective policy regarding reporting and confidentially disclosing sexual violence.
- Building Partnerships with Local Rape Crisis Centers: Developing a Memorandum of Understanding. Schools can strengthen sexual assault prevention and response programs by developing partnerships with local rape crisis centers. These partnerships can be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or other agreement between the parties.
- Sample School Policies Prohibiting Harassment and Violence
Ignorance of Title IX Among K-12 School Districts
- Ending Harassment Now: Keeping our Kids Safe at School. This report discusses the lack of Title IX compliance within 116 school districts in the San Francisco Bay area. (Equal Rights Advocates, 2015)
Exemplary Title IX Sexual Harassment Policies in K-12 School Districts
These school districts have developed comprehensive sexual harassment policies and grievance procedures noteworthy for clarity, transparency, and ease of access on districts’ websites:
Essential Information and Directories
- Directory of state education agencies. Every state has a department or agency that oversees its administration of public education. These education agencies are led by a superintendent of schools, although the official title varies by state.
- United States school districts. A list of school districts in all 50 states, organized by state.
- Ashland (OR) Public Schools Sexual Harassment Title IX Policy. Developed with the assistance of the Jackson County, OR Sexual Assault Response Team, this student- and parent-friendly policy can serve as a model for every school district.
- Title IX at 50: A report by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education
- Title IX at 45: Advancing Opportunity through Equity in Education. This report outlines issues and recommendations in six areas covered by Title IX: STEM, CTE, athletics, sexual harassment and assault, single-sex education, and the rights of pregnant and parenting students. It also looks at the role of Title IX coordinators in helping schools comply with the law. SSAIS assisted with the development of the chapter on sexual harassment and assault. (National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, 2017)
- Cape Cod Community College OCR Case No. 01-93- 2047 [OCR Case Resolution Letter]. In this case, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found Cape Cod Community College to have violated Title IX in part because the person identified by the school as the Title IX Coordinator was unfamiliar with Title IX, had no training, and did not even know that he was the Coordinator. (Office for Civil Rights, 1993)
- Reinvigorating the Role of the Title IX Coordinator: A Requirement and Resource. A groundbreaking multi-year report that discusses the critical role of Title IX Coordinators in implementing Title IX to end sex discrimination in federally funded education programs from preschool through graduate school. SSAIS assisted with the development of this report. (Feminist Majority Foundation, 2016)
- State & Large School District Title IX Gender Equity Coordinators, Methods of Administration Coordinators & other State and District Level Gender Equity Experts. Developed by the Education Equality Program of the Feminist Majority Foundation, this document is designed to help build an effective network of Title IX coordinators at all levels of education throughout the U.S. (2019)
- Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity through Education (2nd edition). An essential reference work on gender equity in education. (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007)
- Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment K-12: Strategies and Solutions for Educators to Use in the Classroom, School, and Community. With more than 700 specific strategies and solutions to use in the classroom, school, and community, this book covers just about everything that educators need, providing a comprehensive and detailed blueprint for an overall plan and policy to prevent and deal with peer harassment. (R&L Education, 2005)
- Safe Relationships and Sexual Harassment. A high school sexual harassment slide presentation by the San Francisco Unified School District.
Sexual Assault in Postsecondary Institutions
- Not Alone: The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault. This first Task Force report focuses on sexual assault at postsecondary institutions – such as colleges, universities, community colleges, graduate and professional schools, and trade schools – that receive federal financial assistance. (U.S. Government, 2014)
- Uncomfortable Conversations: Confronting the Reality of Target Rape on Campus. Important commentary by Harvard professor Diane Rosenfeld on the application of Title IX to campus sexual assault. (Harvard Law Review, 2015).
Revenge Porn (Non-Consensual Image Sharing)
- Nonconsensual Image Sharing Isn’t Pornography — It’s Sexual Assault. This article summarizes research on the effects of nonconsensual sharing of text messages and images (“revenge porn”), from these published studies:
- Nonconsensual Image Sharing: One In 25 Americans Has Been A Victim Of “Revenge Porn” ,
- A Qualitative Analysis of the Mental Health Effects of Revenge Porn on Female Survivors, and
- Sexting among singles in the USA: prevalence of sending, receiving, and sharing sexual messages and images. (The MSW@USC, the Online master of social work program at the University of Southern California, 2018)
Sexual Assault Hazing
Sample OCR Cases
- These cases illustrate some of the many types of sexual harassment, violence, and gender-based discrimination that resulted in OCR investigations of K-12 schools. We present these cases to encourage you to report violations so school districts will be investigated and held accountable. Every situation is unique, so do not hesitate to act. To see additional cases, visit the OCR site to search on a particular district or locality.
Webinar and Conference Presentations by SSAIS
- Responding to Sexual Harm in Schools: Practical Tools for Educators (slides for the presentation at AFT TEACH 2025, July 2025, accompanying resources here)
- Addressing the Rise and Impact of Misogyny Among Students in Grades 6-12 (slides for the webinar presentation to the Share My Lesson annual virtual conference, March 2025)
- SASH Club: A Peer-Education Approach to Addressing Sexual Harassment and Assault in Schools (slides for the webinar presentation to the Share My Lesson virtual conference, July 2024)
- Lessons from the Field: The Role of Title IX Staff in Shaping Positive K-12 and Higher Education School Climate & Culture (slides for a presentation to the annual ATIXA conference, October 2024)
Documents Related to the Title IX Investigation of the Seattle School District
These documents pertain to the sexual assault of a female student that led to an investigation of the Seattle School District by the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR). These examples may assist other families who pursue accountability and justice at the district, state, and federal levels.
- OCR Complaint (PDF 183KB)
Parents’ June 2014 complaint to OCR against the Seattle School District, making it the 24th school district in the nation under federal investigation. - Discrimination Complaint (PDF 51KB)
Amplification of the OCR complaint. - Response to Kaiser Assault Report (PDF 21MB)
Parents’ extensive response to the District’s biased/belated investigation of assault. Includes District’s errors and omissions, assailant’s admission of rape, social media posts, supporting documents, redacted medical information, etc. - Sexual Assault Case Documents (PDF 8MB)
Parents’ complaints after the Seattle School District denied sexual harassment, contrary to both WA State definitions of rape and the District’s own definition of sexual assault. Includes parents’ discussion of the District’s distortions to avoid liability for the negligence that allowed sexual assault. - Staff Complaint
Demonstrates the full spectrum of negligence that allowed for a sexual assault on a school field trip. This complaint against teachers, principals, superintendent, legal department, and Section 504 coordinator, includes documentation from the Seattle Public Schools’ own records. - Response to Kaiser Staff Investigation Report (PDF)
Parents’ response to the District’s inadequate investigation of staff misconduct. - Misconduct Violations for ESDs (PDF 87KB)
Request for investigation by the Washington State Office of Professional Practice (OPP) detailing how actions and inactions by Seattle Public School staff violated the Code of Professional Conduct for Education Practitioners published and enforced by OPP, specifically “disregard or abandonment of generally recognized professional standards.” - Correspondence with the Seattle School District Regarding Sexual Assault (PDF 9MB)
Demonstrates the lengths a district will go to evade liability for sexual assault. - Survey On Attitudes Towards Sexual Assault at Garfield (PDF 1MB)
Created by former Garfield High School (Seattle) student Sylvie Nemeth and featured in the media.
Changes brought about by parent and community advocacy
Seattle Public Schools Task Force on Prevention of and Response to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault (PDF)
The community response to SSAIS founders’ activism resulted in this charter commissioning a task force charged with conducting a comprehensive review of Seattle Public Schools policy and procedures to prevent and respond to instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault. (November, 2014)
Seattle Public Schools Title IX Coordinator Interim Report (PDF)
The SSAIS founders activism revealed that Seattle Public Schools lacked a dedicated, trained Title IX Coordinator. When community members heard about this they demanded that the District examine how it handles student on student sexual assault. The community expressed particular concern about how the District supports student victims. This report by the interim Title IX Coordinator describes the initial steps taken to develop a compliant, effective and standardized response to allegations of student on student sexual assault. (May 2015)
Final Report of Seattle Public Schools Task Force for Prevention of and Response to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault (PDF)
This report includes a summary of the recommendations made by the Seattle Public Schools Task Force for Prevention of and Response to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault during its tenure, progress made by the District towards those goals, and Task Force suggestions for moving forward. (December 2015)
District Response to Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Task Force’s Final Recommendation Report (PDF)
Seattle Public Schools response to the Task Force recommendations listed in their final report. (January 2016)
Final Report of Seattle Public Schools 2019-2022 Title IX Task Force (PDF)
Seattle Public Schools convened a second task force to “make recommendations to the Board of Directors and Superintendent for any revision to current policy, procedure, and practice of the District on matters pertaining to sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault within schools, programs, and activities of the District.” This report contains the findings of the Student Voice Subcommittee, including a student survey and listening sessions. (June 2022)