Safe in my skin, safe where I am: A mixed methods analysis of student campus safety at MSIs

Date

2019-12

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Abstract

Background: Now more than ever, universities are expected to promote racial diversity and the benefits of a diverse student body (Locks, Hurtado, Bowman, & Oseguera, 2008). The way institutions address diversity and multiculturalism plays a major role in student perceptions of the campus climate (Hart & Fallabaum, 2008). As higher education institutions continue to gain more racially diverse student bodies, there is a need for more research on the impact of racial diversity specifically on campus safety. Purpose: In this context, the following research questions are addressed: (1) How do Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, and White student perceptions of campus safety vary based on HBCU and HSI institutional type status? (2) How do institutional agents react and respond to the perceptions of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, and White students on campus safety based on HBCU and HSI institutional type status? (3) In what ways do student perceptions of their campus safety intersect and differ from the responses of institutional agents? Methods: This mixed methods study utilizes data from the American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) of college students (n=52,205) and interviews of 5 institutional agents from both a Historically Black University and Hispanic Serving Institution. Logistic regression modeling was used to examine racial/ethnic group differences in perceived campus safety and campus safety incidents by institutional type. Holistic and pattern coding was used to identify themes from institutional agent interviews. The sequential mixed method design allowed for a complementary analysis. Results: Through the mixed methods analysis, feelings of safety are identified as an issue for students of color, in spite of higher representation for students of color. The results from the quantitative analysis reveal that Black women are more likely to feel somewhat unsafe or not safe at all compared to non-Black women and men at HSIs and HBCUs. Conversely, White women are less likely to feel unsafe or not safe at all compared with non-White women and men at HSIs and HBCUs. When HSI institutional agents responded to the quantitative findings, their results fell into two overarching themes: relationship with police and those that are privileged and unprivileged. Institutional agents at the HBCU had responses under the themes of campus safety reporting and sense of community. The mixed method analysis showed that when the quantitative and qualitative findings were combined, the main theme that emerged was navigating campus safety at the intersections of race and gender. Within this theme, unequal feelings of safety and questions on who hold the power to report are the two subthemes. Conclusion: This mixed methods study sought to fill a void in campus climate research by addressing not only physical safety factors but emotional and psychological aspects of student campus safety. Additionally, this study honed in on two types of minority serving institutions to provide a holistic approach to student and institutional agent perceptions of campus climate and safety for students outside of predominantly White institutions. The results of this study speak to a need for further research on campus safety from a racial/ethnic and gender perspective. Even more, the voices of institutional agents elevated this study by providing the administrative standpoint that is vital in understanding the various perspectives of campus safety. Several implications and recommendations are offered for practitioners, policymakers, and future research about the multifaceted concept of campus safety and the need for approaches that are more racially/ethnically cognizant. The primary recommendation for practice is to reconceptualize campus safety by including an interdisciplinary approach to student safety. The recommendation for policy includes universities shaping their policies to take a more proactive and critical approach to campus safety and the policies they are entrusted to implement. Further research should include a greater emphasis on campus safety research through the lens of gender and race/ethnicity, different institutional types, and other student of color populations.

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Keywords

Campus safety, Sense of belonging, Campus climate, Campus racial climate

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