The Cyclical Theory and Public Opinion: Preferential Treatment of Student Collegiate Athletes in Violation of Title IX Policy

Indianapolis, IN

This research aims to answer why Americans give preferential treatment to student collegiate athletes when in violation of Title IX sexual harassment policy. This issue has taken center stage in recent news so this project aims to identify why this trend is occurring. Through reviewing previous literature, I constructed a cyclical theory to explain the infinite cycle of sexual violence and inappropriate responses to violations of Title IX policy when student collegiate athletes are the perpetrators. Using an original survey experiment, I tested whether Americans are less likely to follow appropriate Title IX sexual harassment guidelines if the alleged perpetrator is a collegiate student athlete. This research sheds light on a new cyclical theory in hopes to investigate this trend of collegiate athletes and violations of Title IX policy.