About 9 percent of University of Hawaii students say they have been sexually harassed, and 6 percent experienced unwanted sexual contact on or off campus, according to survey results released Monday.

The Student Climate Survey on Sexual Harassment and Gender-based Violence was the first comprehensive assessment of student experiences on and off UH’s 10 campuses. Officials said the survey was groundbreaking nationally for its scope and because it included intimate-partner violence.

“It’s really important that we understand the problem if we are going to be able to address it, and that is what this survey is all about,” UH President David Lassner said at a news conference. “It will help us focus our efforts to improve the conditions for our students both on and off campus.”

Nearly 1 in 5 respondents who reported having been in a “partnered relationship” said they had experienced intimate-partner violence. That term encompasses a wide range of behavior, including efforts to control a partner’s actions or social relations, as well as the threat of harm or use of physical force. Ten percent of UH students said they had been stalked.

The topic of sexual harassment and sexual violence is timely, given the #MeToo movement that is trending nationally, but the survey predates that. It was conducted from Jan. 20 to Feb. 20 by OmniTrak Group, and 14 percent of adult UH students completed it.

“We did this last spring, long before #MeToo, but this has prepared us to really understand that situation within our institution,” Lassner said.

Altogether, 6,311 undergraduate and graduate students took part in the survey, which had 125 questions.

Most students feel safe

Jennifer Rose, director of the Office on Institutional Equity at UH, said the results can’t be directly compared with other institutions’ because the surveys differ. But some of the questions overlapped with those used by the Association of American Universities’ climate survey but garnered different responses.

“We were actually lower in terms of sexual harassment and nonconsensual sexual contact and slightly higher for domestic violence and stalking,” she said. “They are not exactly apples to apples, because there was slightly different wording.”

Of the nearly 1 in 10 students who experienced sexual harassment while enrolled at UH, 81 percent identified the offender as a fellow student, while 34 percent blamed a faculty member or staff, with some reporting both. Sexual harassment includes sexual remarks or insulting or offensive jokes, and inappropriate comments regarding body, appearance or sexual activity.

Among those reporting harassment, graduate students were twice as likely as undergraduates to point to faculty or staff as the offenders.

“We aren’t surprised by prevalence and incidence rates of domestic violence in the UH survey,” said Nanci Kreidman, chief executive officer of the Domestic Violence Action Center. “They reflect a larger societal problem. These numbers track the community and global statistics, and UH doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

Among the 6 percent of students who reported nonconsensual sexual contact, fewer than a third said the incidents occurred on campus or at a university-associated property.

Overall, most students reported feeling safe. UH-Manoa junior Kendhyl Delacour said the atmosphere on campus is respectful and — like more than 90 percent of student surveyed — she had not experienced sexual harassment at UH.

“I absolutely feel safe here,” said Delacour while waiting for a parking permit Monday at UH Manoa. “I haven’t had any of that kind of stuff, definitely not.”

Senior Kellsie Gleason, a psychology major and soccer player, said she feels “relatively safe.”

“I think as a woman, especially, you always are cautious,” Gleason said, adding that if she is walking across campus at night, she goes with a friend. As for sexual harassment, she said, “sometimes students have made jokes, but nothing more than a joke — but still it’s uncomfortable.”

Only 1 out of 6 respondents who experienced nonconsensual sexual contact, sexual harassment, stalking or dating violence said they contacted UH officials or resources. Many said they didn’t consider it “serious enough.”

But those who did reach out for help seem pleased with the response. For example, 96 percent of those who reported being sexually harassed found the UH response to be “very” or “extremely” useful.

Help available

Lassner and Rose both urged students to take advantage of services, whether they or someone they know is experiencing harassment or violence. Students who experience undesirable behavior should contact their Title IX coordinator, they said. Title IX is the federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in educational programs and activities.

“The message that we will continue to repeat to our students is that help is available,” Rose said. “We want students to feel safe in coming forward — whether to utilize confidential resources or to make a report. Everyone has a part to play in making our campuses free from sex discrimination.”

University officials conducted the survey as a base line to gauge the situation, and plan to repeat it every two years. The survey attempted to capture a clear picture of students’ lives on and off campus, and officials will mine the data, campus by campus and group by group, to better identify and address student needs.

Students age 18 and up took the confidential survey voluntarily via their personal computers and mobile devices. Printed copies were also available upon request. The profile of participants was demographically representative of the overall UH student population.

The survey cost $173,800 and was funded with general funds provided by the Legislature to the UH Office of Institutional Equity.

Full results are available at hawaii.edu/titleix/climate-survey/results.