Date
8-6-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)
Chair
Sharon Farrell
Keywords
Title IX, campus sexual assault, vulnerable student populations, people of color, LGBTQ, social exchange theory
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Wright, April Lynn, "Vulnerable Student Populations’ Understanding of Title IX, Campus Support, and Supportive Resources: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7276.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7276
Abstract
This hermeneutical phenomenological study examined how vulnerable student populations on college campuses perceived Title IX, campus support, and campus resources. The theory guiding this study is Homans’s social exchange theory, which connects the three pillars of rules, resources, and social relationships. The connection between the theory and the study is that while Title IX has guidelines established to support students after a campus sexual assault, the guidelines do not mean much if a student who has experienced a campus sexual assault is unsure of the support and resources that are available to them. While social exchange theory highlighted the rules, resources, and social relationships around Title IX on college campuses, it was the theory of institutional betrayal that had an impact on whether students would report sexual misconduct. Voluntary participants from populations known to be vulnerable to campus sexual assault on public college campuses in the Northeast were selected to participate in this study. The study included a survey, individual interviews, and document analysis, which were broken down into themes for analysis. The findings revealed that many participants lacked a clear understanding of Title IX policies and were unaware of available campus resources. Students reported feeling fear, mistrust, and cultural stigma as key barriers to reporting incidents of sexual misconduct. A recurring theme of institutional betrayal emerged, particularly among students of color and LGBTQ participants, who felt their experiences were often dismissed or minimized by campus administrators. These findings underscore the need for more transparent and culturally responsive Title IX education and trauma-informed practices to be institutionalized.
