Title IX and the State of Campus Sexual Violence in the United States: Power, Policy, and Local Bodies

In 2010, 21 million individuals were categorized as full- or part-time students in institutions of higher education in the United States. As the enrollment figures continue to grow, it is necessary to sharpen our focus on the lived experiences of those attending colleges and universities. Data indicate that one out of four college women are victims of sexual violence. Though the amount and magnitude of campus sexual violence federal legislation increases, there is little evidence to indicate that rates of campus sexual violence are decreasing. Following a rich history of anthropology concerned with violence and the structures of power that emerge around it, this article examines the process wherein legislation in the United States has invested substantial power and authority to colleges and universities with regards to campus sexual violence. I outline how college and university campuses are using this power to measure, name, and adjudicate acts of campus sexual violence. By situating college and university campuses at the nexus of state governance upon the body politic of campus students, I expose the disciplining nature of the state upon individual and communal bodies.