Survey of American College Students 2025, Feeling Safe in the Academic Library

This study looks at how safe students feel in the academic library, walking to and from the academic library, in the stacks and in other library locales.

The study helps its readers to answer questions such as: how many students have had something stolen while in their academic library? Are some students more prone to victimization by theft than others? How many have experienced sexual harassment in the library? How safe do students feel in the library at night? Or walking home from the library?

Just a few of this 102-page report’s many findings are that:

About 2% of survey respondents have been victimized by theft in the academic library, including 3.7% of respondents from the highest income families, and 5.88% of Latino students.
16.12% of female respondents felt “very safe” walking home from the library at night; 35.5% of men felt the same.
Psychology and education majors were more likely than those from other majors to feel unsafe in the library at night.
Transgender students report much higher rates of sexual harassment in the academic library than do male or female students.

The Questionnaire
Characteristics of the sample
Summary Of Main Findings
Theft in the Academic Library
Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library?
Feeling Safe in the Academic Library At Night
How safe do you feel in the academic library at night?
Disputes in the Academic Library
Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand?
Feeling Safe Walking to and From the Academic Library
How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night?
Sexual Harassment in the Academic Library
Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library?
Main Table (5.1)
Subgroup Trends
Feeling Safe in Academic Library Bathrooms
How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms?
Main Table (6.1)
Subgroup Trends
Table 1.1 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library?
Table 1.2 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.3 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by urban, suburban or rural upbringing
Table 1.4 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by region of upbringing
Table 1.5 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by year of class standing
Table 1.6 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by annual family of origin income level
Table 1.7 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by relationship with organized religion
Table 1.8 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by political views
Table 1.9 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by college grades
Table 1.10 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by academic major
Table 1.11 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.12 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by status of current residency
Table 1.13 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by current employment situation
Table 1.14 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by sexual orientation
Table 1.15 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by SAT or ACT score
Table 1.16 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by race or ethnicity
Table 1.17 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by accumulated student loan debt
Table 1.18 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by post-college education
Table 1.19 Have you ever been a victim of theft in the campus library? Broken out by religion
Table 2.1 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night?
Table 2.2 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 2.3 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by urban, suburban or rural upbringing
Table 2.4 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by region of upbringing
Table 2.5 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by year of class standing
Table 2.6 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by annual family of origin income level
Table 2.7 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by relationship with organized religion
Table 2.8 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by political views
Table 2.9 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by college grades
Table 2.10 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by academic major
Table 2.11 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 2.12 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by status of current residency
Table 2.13 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by current employment situation
Table 2.14 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by sexual orientation
Table 2.15 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by SAT or ACT score
Table 2.16 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by race or ethnicity
Table 2.17 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by accumulated student loan debt
Table 2.18 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by post-college education
Table 2.19 How safe do you feel in the academic library at night? Broken out by religion
Is there any area of the library in which you have ever felt unsafe? If so, which area and when?
Table 3.1 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand?
Table 3.2 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 3.3 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by urban, suburban or rural upbringing
Table 3.4 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by region of upbringing
Table 3.5 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by year of class standing
Table 3.6 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by annual family of origin income level
Table 3.7 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by relationship with organized religion
Table 3.8 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by political views
Table 3.9 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by college grades
Table 3.10 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by academic major
Table 3.11 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 3.12 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by status of current residency
Table 3.13 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by current employment situation
Table 3.14 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by sexual orientation
Table 3.15 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by SAT or ACT score
Table 3.16 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by race or ethnicity
Table 3.17 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by accumulated student loan debt
Table 3.18 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by post-college education
Table 3.19 Have you ever witnessed an argument or dispute in the library that you thought might get out of hand? Broken out by religion
Table 4.1 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night?
Table 4.2 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 4.3 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by urban, suburban or rural upbringing
Table 4.4 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by region of upbringing
Table 4.5 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by year of class standing
Table 4.6 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by annual family of origin income level
Table 4.7 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by relationship with organized religion
Table 4.8 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by political views
Table 4.9 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by college grades
Table 4.10 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by academic major
Table 4.11 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 4.12 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by status of current residency
Table 4.13 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by current employment situation
Table 4.14 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by sexual orientation
Table 4.15 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by SAT or ACT score
Table 4.16 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by race or ethnicity
Table 4.17 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by accumulated student loan debt
Table 4.18 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by post-college education
Table 4.19 How safe do you feel walking to and from the library at night? Broken out by religion
Table 5.1 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library?
Table 5.2 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 5.3 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by urban, suburban or rural upbringing
Table 5.4 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by region of upbringing
Table 5.5 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by year of class standing
Table 5.6 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by annual family of origin income level
Table 5.7 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by relationship with organized religion
Table 5.8 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic? Broken out by political views
Table 5.9 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by college grades
Table 5.10 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by academic major
Table 5.11 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 5.12 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by status of current residency
Table 5.13 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by current employment situation
Table 5.14 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by sexual orientation
Table 5.15 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by SAT or ACT score
Table 5.16 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by race or ethnicity
Table 5.17 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by accumulated student loan debt
Table 5.18 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by post-college education
Table 5.19 Have you ever been sexually harassed in the academic library? Broken out by religion
Table 6.1 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms?
Table 6.2 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.3 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by urban, suburban or rural upbringing
Table 6.4 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by region of upbringing
Table 6.5 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by year of class standing
Table 6.6 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by annual family of origin income level
Table 6.7 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by relationship with organized religion
Table 6.8 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by political views
Table 6.9 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by college grades
Table 6.10 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by academic major
Table 6.11 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 6.12 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by status of current residency
Table 6.13 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by current employment situation
Table 6.14 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by sexual orientation
Table 6.15 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by SAT or ACT score
Table 6.16 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by race or ethnicity
Table 6.17 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by accumulated student loan debt
Table 6.18 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by post-college education
Table 6.19 How safe do you feel in academic library bathrooms? Broken out by religion

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