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Much of my research has examined how universities interpret Title IX in the implementation of sexual violence policies, reporting procedures, and resources, and how these decisions affect victim/survivors (e.g., are they effective at supporting survivors and ensuring equal access to education?). In this line of work, I use multiple methodological approaches to gain a more comprehensive understanding of survivors’ engagement with policies and formal support systems on campus (e.g., reporting options, resources) and the efficacy of those policies and systems.
A specific area of expertise within this line of work is on mandatory reporting policies for sexual violence. Mandatory reporting policies require certain employees to report any sexual violence they learn about to university officials, regardless of the survivor’s desire to report, which I have conceptualized as compelled disclosure. Through guidance and rulemaking on Title IX, the Department of Education has long required institutions to designate some employees as mandatory reporters and my research has found that most institutions designate all or nearly all of their employees as mandatory reporters. It is assumed that such broad policies will benefit victim/survivors, employees, and the campus community, but these assumptions are not supported by empirical evidence. It is my goal to use existing evidence (e.g., on trauma-informed responses to sexual violence disclosures) and gather additional evidence to help scholars and policy makers advocate for evidence-based and survivor-centered policies that protect equitable access to education.
My publications on Title IX and sexual violence include:
Holland, K. J. & Howard Valdivia, R. L. (2026). Title IX and sexual violence in higher education: A mapping review and assessment of policy implementation and effectiveness. Journal of Sex Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2026.2623649
Holland, K. J., Howard Valdivia, R. L., Goodman-Williams, R., Rieger, A., O’Connor, J., Hutchison, E. Q., Allen, N. E., Ahrens, C. E. (2026). Title IX practitioners’ perceptions of two college sexual assault mandatory reporting policy approaches. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/asap.70087
Holland, K. J, Howard Valdivia, R. L., & Drissen, M. C. (2025). A Mixed Method Examination of Support for Two College Sexual Assault Mandatory Reporting Policy Approaches. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.70008
Webermann, A. R., Holland, K. J., & Murphy, C. M. (2024) Student Experiences Reporting Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct to the Title IX Office at a Public State University. Violence Against Women, 30(6-7), 1564-1585. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012221150274
Holland, K. J., Cipriano, A. E., Howard Valdivia, R. L., & Pinchevsky, G. M. (2023). Analyzing the Shifting State of College Sexual Violence Compelled Disclosure Policies: National Trends, Empirical Findings, and Implications. American Psychologist, 78(9), 1098–1109. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001251
Richards, T., Holland, K. J., Cipriano, A. E., & Nystrom, A. (2023). Universal Mandatory Reporting Policies Show Null Effects in a Statewide College Sample. Law and Human Behavior, 47(6), 686-699. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000546
*Cipriano, A. E., Holland, K. J., *O'Callaghan, E. & Rieger, A. (2023). “I had no power whatsoever”: Graduate students’ experiences disclosing sexual harassment to mandatory reporters. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12336
Webermann, A. R., & Holland, K. J. (2022). Inconsistency is the Consistency: The Title IX Process within Maryland Public Universities. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 46(4), 468-483 https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843221115340
Cipriano, A. E., Holland, K. J., Bedera, N., *Eagan, S. R., *Diede, A. S. (2021). Severe and pervasive? Consequences of Sexual Harassment for Graduate Students and their Title IX Report Outcomes. Feminist Criminology, 17(3), 343-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/15570851211062579
Holland, K. J., Hutchison, E. Q., Ahrens, C. E., & Torres, M. G. (2021) Reporting is Not Supporting: Why the Principle of Mandatory Supporting, not Mandatory Reporting, Must Guide Sexual Misconduct Policies in Higher Education. Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, 118(52), 1-4. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2116515118
Holland, K. J., & *Cipriano, A. E. (2021). Does a Report = Support? A Qualitative Analysis of College Sexual Assault Survivors’ Title IX Office Knowledge, Perceptions, and Experiences. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 21(1), 1054-1081. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12271
Holland, K. J., *Cipriano, A. E. & *Huit, T. Z. (2021). LGBTQ and straight sexual assault survivors’ interactions with counseling in a campus counseling center and women’s center. Women & Therapy, 44(3-4), 337-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2021.1961439
Holland, K. J., *Cipriano, A. E., *Huit, T. Z., †Volk, S., †Meyer, C. L., †Waitr, E., & †Wiener, E. (2021). “Serious enough?” A mixed method examination of the minimization of sexual assault as a service barrier for college sexual assault survivors. Psychology of Violence, 11(3), 276-285. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000377
Holland, K. J., Wheeler, L. A., Tyler, K. A., & *Cipriano, A. E. (2021). Development of and preliminary evidence for a psychological service barriers measure among college sexual assault survivors. Violence Against Women, 27(14), 2791-2814. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801221996467
Holland, K. J. *Cipriano, A. E., Goodman-Williams, R., & *Diede, A. S. (2021). Examining support for university-to-police reporting policies for sexual assault: The role of survivors’ consent. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68, 440-454. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12533
Holland, K. J., Bedera, N., & *Webermann, A. (2020). The selective shield of due process: An analysis of the U.S. department of education’s 2020 Title IX regulations on live cross-examination. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 20(1), 584-612. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12216
Holland, K. J., *Cipriano, A. E., & *Huit, T. Z. (2020). “A victim/survivor needs agency”: Sexual assault survivors’ perceptions of mandatory reporting policies in institutions of higher education. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 21(1), 488-508. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12226
Holland, K. J., *Cipriano, A. E. & *Huit, T. Z. (2020). “The fear is palpable”: Service providers’ perceptions of sexual assault mandatory reporting policies in higher education. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 20(1), 66-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12193
Holland, K. J. & *Cipriano, A. E. (2020). Campus support providers’ discussion of consent in response to sexual assault disclosure situations: Understanding of consent linked to resource referrals. Violence and Victims, 35, 615-632. https://doi.org/10.1891/VV-D-19-00154
Holland, K. J. (2020). Correlates of college women’s intentions to use formal campus supports for sexual assault. Psychology of Violence, 10(2), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000240
Holland, K. J. & Bedera, N. (2019). “Call for help immediately”: A discourse analysis of resident assistants’ responses to sexual assault disclosures. Violence Against Women. 26(11), 1383-1402. https://doi.org/0.1177/1077801219863879
Holland, K. J., †Gustafson, A. M., Cortina, L. M, & *Cipriano, A. E. (2019). Supporting survivors: The roles of rape myths and feminism in resident assistants' response to sexual assault disclosure scenarios. Sex Roles, 82(3), 206-218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01048-6
Holland, K. J. (2019). Examining responsible employees’ perceptions of their sexual assault reporting requirements under federal and institutional policy. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 19(1), 133-149. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12176
Holland, K. J., Cortina, L. M., & Freyd, J. J. (2018). Advocating alternatives to mandatory reporting for college sexual assault: Reply to Newins (2018). American Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000415
Holland, K. J., Cortina, L. M., & Freyd, J. J. (2018). Compelled disclosure of college sexual assault. American Psychologist,73(3), 256-268. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000186
Holland, K. J. & Cortina, L. M. (2017). The evolving landscape of Title IX: Predicting mandatory reporters’ responses to sexual assault disclosures. Law and Human Behavior, 41(5), 429-439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000253
Holland, K. J. & Cortina, L. M. (2017). “It happens to girls all the time”: Examining sexual assault survivors’ reasons for not using campus supports. American Journal of Community Psychology, 59(1), 50-64. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12126
Talks I have given on Title IX and sexual violence include:
Something Was Wrong podcast: Season 25 Episode 7 Rethinking Mandatory Reporting and Internal Processes in Higher Education with Dr. Kathryn Holland and Season 25 Episode 21 (part 1) and Episode 22 (part 2) Answering Community Questions with Dr. Nicole Bedera, Dr. Kathryn Holland & Dr. Jacqueline Cruz
Holland, K. J. (2024, June). Mandatory Reporting Policies for Sexual Misconduct Under Title IX: A Review of the Evidence and Strategies for Supporting Survivors. Invited speaker for NASPA Culture of Respect Collective.
Holland, K. J. (2022, June). 50th Anniversary of Title IX Roundtable on Ensuring Safety and Opportunity in STEM Environments: Preventing and Addressing Identity-based Harassment Panel hosted by the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, White House Gender Policy Council, U.S. Department of Education, and Committee on STEM Education.
Holland, K. J. (2021, August) Compelled Disclosure of Sexual Assault in Higher Education. Panel hosted by International Summit on Violence, Abuse and Trauma Across the Lifespan.
Holland, K. J. (2020, October) Finding Common Cause: Centering Survivors in Reporting Policies. Panel hosted by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Public Summit on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
Holland, K. J. (2020, September) Giving Voice and Choice to Survivors in Title IX Reporting Policies. Panel hosted by University of New Mexico webinar.
Holland, K. J. (2020, July 21) Planned Parenthood Public Panel on Title IX and Sexual Assault on College Campuses. Panel hosted by Planned Parenthood, Lincoln, NE.
Holland, K. J. (2020, March) Compelled Disclosure of College Sexual Assault. Invited distinguished publication award address at the Association for Women in Psychology Conference, Austin, TX.
Holland, K. J. (2019, November) Compelled Disclosure of Sexual Assault in Higher Education. Keynote speaker for the Association for Psychological and Educational Research in Kansas (PERK) conference, Baker University.
Holland, K. J. (2018, May) Challenging Mandatory Reporting in Higher Education. The Michigan Meetings 2018: Ending Gender‐Based Violence, University of Michigan.
Holland, K. J. (2018, February). Webinar Panel on Campus Sexual Violence. Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA).
In collaboration with my colleagues, Dr. Courtney Ahrens and Dr. Elizabeth Hutchison, and my graduate students, Becca Howard Valdivia and Allison Cipriano, I helped organize the Academic Alliance for Survivor Choice in Reporting Policies, which changed its name to the Alliance for Survivor Choice in Reporting Policies (ASC) in 2023. ASC includes a group of academics, advocates, and allies, who work to raise awareness about research on compelled disclosure and advocate for trauma-informed, survivor-centered reporting policies in higher education. For instance, ASC submitted comments on mandatory reporting submitted to the US Department of Education, including a recommendation letter during the 2021 public hearing on improving enforcement of Title IX and a public comment in response to the proposed Title IX regulations in 2022.
Email me at kholland4@unl.edu if you have Title IX policy-related questions on your campus.