Tiffany Reese

Others fear retaliation, social backlash, or the emotional toll of a lengthy bureaucratic process.

For the students who do step forward, their experiences can be inconsistent and, at times, deeply retraumatizing.

Many survivors end up leaving classes, changing majors, moving off campus, or even withdrawing from school entirely, while the alleged perpetrators often continue their education without interruption.

An analysis by American Sports News program Outside the Lines

illustrates that in recent years, quote, end quote.

In 2021, 16,754 students across eight academic campuses participated in an online study that included questions about sexual harassment victimization by a faculty staff member or by a peer since enrollment at their institution of higher education.

Across institutions, 19% of students reported experiencing faculty-staff perpetrated sexual harassment and 30% reported experiencing peer-perpetrated sexual harassment.

This isn't just painful.

It undermines the core purpose of Title IX itself.

For most students, the first time they hear the term Title IX is after something traumatic has already happened.

They're 18 or 19, away from home, terrified, and suddenly confronted with deadlines, investigators, and policies they've never seen before.

But Title IX does give students rights.

They have the right to a fair and timely process.

They have the right to supportive measures, things like counseling access, academic adjustments, or a no-contact directive.

They have the right to have someone with them in meetings, and they have the right to report without fear of retaliation.

The challenge is that each school is required to adopt and publish their own Title IX policies and procedures.

Some are clear and survivor-centered.

Others are confusing, outdated, or written in ways that make the process nearly impossible to navigate without help.

Knowing your rights isn't just important.

It can be the difference between receiving support and being pushed out of your education entirely.