Results of the Siena Sexual Assault Assessment
Data Source: Siena conducted a biennial Campus Climate Assessment for students from January 17 through February 6, 2024. The survey was sent to 2,975 students and completed by 684 students (64% women, 32% men, and 4% non-binary or no response). The survey included a customized section that was used to capture anonymous data about personal experiences related to sexual violence. The Sexual Assault Assessment included questions related to sexual harassment, coerced sexual contact, unwanted sexual contact, and sexual assault. All questions were optional; therefore, the sample size for individual questions may be less than 684 if a student chose not to answer the question.
Overall experience of students who responded to the survey with unwanted sexual contact:
23% reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact in the form of verbal behaviors1 sometimes, often, or very often
10% reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact in the form of nonverbal behaviors2 sometimes, often, or very often
15% reported experiencing unwanted brief physical contact3 sometimes, often, or very often 5% reported experiencing a sexual assault4 while a student at Siena
of those who experienced a sexual assault:
83% identified as women
11% identified as men
6% identified as non-binary, or chose not to identify their gender
Of those who experienced sexual assault while a student at Siena (n= 35)
63% indicated that the assault occurred on the Siena campus
54% indicated that the assault occurred during new student orientation/1st year of college
77% indicated that alcohol played a role
51% identified the perpetrator as a nonromantic friend or acquaintance
77% told a close friend
9% reported telling NO ONE
Bystander Behavior as reported from victims of sexual assault
Bystanders were present for 31% of incidents
Bystanders intervened in 9% of the incidents for which they were present
1 Unwanted verbal behaviors include sexual comments, sexual advances, propositions, or suggestion, sexually
offensive jokes
2 Unwanted nonverbal behaviors include being shown sexually offensive pictures or objects, leering, lewd gestures
3 Unwanted brief physical contact includes brief groping, rubbing sexually, pinching, or engaging in any other brief
inappropriate or unwelcome touching of someone’s body
4 Students were provided with a definition of sexual assault, specifically five types of sexual contact which they did
not want or for which they did not give consent: touching of a sexual nature, oral sex, vaginal sex, anal sex, anal or
vaginal penetration with a body part other than a penis or tongue, or by an object, like a bottle or candle