Prevention of sexual violence among college students: Current challenges and future directions

Bonar, Erin E.; DeGue, Sarah; Abbey, Antonia; Coker, Ann L.; Lindquist, Christine; McCauley, Heather L.; Miller, Elizabeth; Senn, Charlene Y.; Thompson, Martie P.; Ngo, Quyen; Cunningham, Rebecca M.; Walton, Maureen A.

doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1757681

Cited by 84 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 148 publications

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“…Hitherto, research was needed to understand female students’ vulnerability to SV across different higher education institutions in South Africa, including the more resource-poor Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. Such research is essential to inform comprehensive policies and SV interventions in South African settings [ 2 , 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research conducted in other countries, including the United States of America and Canada, has shown that the individual characteristics which increase students’ vulnerability to SV include being female, gender-binary non-conformant, coming from poorer community settings, being in the first year of enrolment, being younger, having a disability and exhibiting symptoms of mental ill-health [ 1 , 7 – 9 ]. Students with histories of sexual victimisation are more likely to experience SV compared to students without previous experiences [ 1 , 2 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with female students’ past year experience of sexual violence in South African public higher education settings: A cross-sectional study

et al. 2021

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Background Intimate partner sexual violence and non-partner rape experiences are widely reported by female students in South African higher education institutions, as they are globally. However, limited research has focused on investigating vulnerability factors, which is vital for informing interventions. Objective To describe the factors and inter-relationships associated with female students’ increased vulnerability to past year experience of partner sexual violence and non-partner rape in South African higher education settings. Methods We interviewed 1293 female students, i.e., 519 students in six Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college campuses and 774 students at three university campuses. Participants were volunteers aged 18–30. The measured vulnerability factors included childhood sexual abuse, other trauma, mental ill-health, risky sexual behaviours, food insecurity, partner violence, and controlling behaviours. We used bivariate analysis, logistic regression, and structural equation modelling methods. Results Twenty percent of participants experienced past-year sexual violence (17% partner sexual violence and 7.5% non-partner rape). Childhood sexual abuse had direct effects on experiencing past year sexual violence and physical, emotional partner violence or controlling behaviours. Risky sexual behaviours mediated the relationships of childhood sexual abuse or harmful alcohol use and past-year sexual violence experience. Mental ill-health mediated the relationships between childhood sexual abuse, other traumatic exposures, food insecurity, physical, emotional partner violence or controlling behaviours, and past-year partner sexual violence or non-partner rape experience. Conclusions Risky sexual behaviours, gender inequitable relationship dynamics, mental ill-health, and food insecurity are related and amenable vulnerability factors associated with female students’ sexual violence experiences. Therefore, addressing these through comprehensive campus interventions, which are implemented when students first enrol in higher education and are most vulnerable to sexual violence, is critical. Society-wide sexual violence prevention is also imperative.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with female students’ past year experience of sexual violence in South African public higher education settings: A cross-sectional study

et al. 2021

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“…In recent years, sexual violence prevention researchers have come together in calling for universities to develop comprehensive sexual violence prevention plans, including both targeted and universal (bystander) prevention programming to achieve meaningful change (e.g., Bonar et al, 2020; Orchowski et al, 2018). By contrast, in the current political climate with burgeoning roles and responsibilities and limited resources, university administrators who are responsible for developing prevention policies and staff in prevention roles may feel pressured to offer a single, one-size fits all, online or in person prevention program for students.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing a Model of How a Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program for Women Reduces Sexual Assaults

Senn

Eliasziw

Hobden

et al. 2020

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) program has been shown to reduce sexual assaults experienced by university students who identify as women. Prevention researchers emphasize testing theory-based mechanisms once positive outcomes related to effectiveness are established. We assessed the process by which EAAA’s positive outcomes are achieved in a sample of 857 first year university students. EAAA’s goals are to increase risk detection in social interactions, decrease obstacles to risk detection or resistance with known men, and increase women’s use of effective self-defense. We used chained multiple mediator modeling to assess the combined effects of the primary mediators (risk detection, direct resistance, and self-defense self-efficacy) while simultaneously assessing the interrelationships among the secondary mediators (perception of personal risk, belief in the myth of female precipitation, and general rape myth acceptance). The hypothesized multiple mediation model with three primary mediators met the criterion for full mediation of the intervention effects. Together, the mediators accounted for 95% and 76% of the reductions in completed and attempted rape, respectively, demonstrating full mediation. The hypothesized secondary mediators were important in achieving improvements in personal and situational risk detection. The findings strongly support the benefit of cognitive ecological theory and the Assess, Acknowledge, Act conceptualization underlying EAAA. This evidence can be used by administrators and staff responsible for prevention policy and practice on campuses to defend the implementation of theoretically grounded, evidence-based prevention programs.

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“…Other research outside Chile reports the role of empathy as a moderator in the relationship between certain risk factors such as approval of forced sex between peers and sexual aggression [ 29 ]. Likewise, gender inequalities in a society have been related to a greater probability of sexual victimization even for men [ 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social, Economic and Human Capital: Risk or Protective Factors in Sexual Violence?

Baeza

Fiscella

Díaz

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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In Chile, studies on protective factors and risk factors for sexual violence are limited and very few have incorporated analysis of different types of capital (social, economic, human) as social resources in the protection against sexual violence. The objective of this research is to evaluate to what extent the stock of different capitals act together, as either protective or risk factors in sexual violence in different interpersonal environments. The sample consisted of 1665 women between 15 and 30 years of age (M = 23.47, SD = 4.41). Artificial neural network analysis and social network analysis were used. The nodes representative of human and economic capital have a protective role of low relevance due to their position in the network, while the nodes of social capital acquire a structural relevance due to the central positions of the network. It is concluded that the structural social capital of neighborhood networks constitutes the main protective factor for sexual violence in all areas, and in turn, the structural social capital of networks with non-significant others was the main risk factor in sexual victimization.

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Prevention of sexual violence among college students: Current challenges and future directions

Cited by 84 publications

References 148 publications

Factors associated with female students’ past year experience of sexual violence in South African public higher education settings: A cross-sectional study

Factors associated with female students’ past year experience of sexual violence in South African public higher education settings: A cross-sectional study

Testing a Model of How a Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program for Women Reduces Sexual Assaults

Social, Economic and Human Capital: Risk or Protective Factors in Sexual Violence?

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