Physical Spaces for Campus Sexual Violence Prevention: A Conceptual Model

Abstract

As a part of socio-ecological approaches to campus sexual violence prevention, there is a call for greater attention to the role of the environment. Despite this, physical space, an aspect of the built environment, is understudied. There is a lack of models for the ways physical space can help facilitate prevention efforts on campus. Disciplines such as criminology have put forth theories such as crime prevention through environmental design, which offer a foundation for application to college campuses but which require modification. The current model draws from reviews of research, theory, and critiques of work on the prevention and the physical environment to present a strengths-centered, social justice–based model for campuses to incorporate the consideration of physical spaces into sexual violence prevention planning.

Bystander interventions for promotion and prevention: Applying promotion science, motivation science, and behavioral science to upstanding

“…The UPP model stands atop a rich theoretical foundation of promotion and prevention science (Catalano et al, 2002;Kia-Keating et al, 2011), regulatory focus and fit theories from motivation science (Higgins, 1997;Scholer et al, 2019), reinforcement theory from applied behavioral science (Biglan, 2003;Biglan et al, 2012;Geller, 2001;McCarty et al, 2021), and previous bystander intervention research encouraging various forms of prevention upstanding (e.g., Banyard et al, 2019Banyard et al, , 2021Hamby et al, 2016;Hart & Miethe, 2008;Moschella & Banyard, 2020;Vera et al, 2019). Additionally, the UPP model answers prior calls by researchers to address multiple risks and forms of harm, while also broadening efforts to attend to multiple assets and forms of benefit (i.e., extending across prevention/promotion opportunities and health-depreciating and health-promoting settings; Hamby & Grych, 2013;McMahon et al, 2022;McMahon & Banyard, 2012). Despite the strengths of the UPP model, there are also limitations, assumptions, and boundary conditions.…”

Preventing Sexual Violence: A Behavioral Problem Without a Behaviorally Informed Solution

“…Interventions that take a behavioral approach may do so by considering features of the environment. Physical spaces communicate local norms and expectations ( Gantman & Paluck, 2022 ; S. McMahon et al, 2022 ) as well as make some behaviors easier than others to enact. Those features could be geographical configurations such as a lack of common social space ( Gantman & Paluck, 2022 ).…”