Urban Commuter Campus Students' Perspectives on Sexual Violence: Implications for Response and Prevention

Sexual assault and harassment victimization and post-assault help-seeking among undergraduate students: Comparing residential and nonresidential campuses

In the United States, campus sexual violence research has mostly focused on 4-year residential campuses. The experiences of students on nonresidential campuses are less well understood. Using data from a Web-based campus climate survey, this study explores sexual assault and sexual harassment victimization rates, victimization characteristics, and post-assault help-seeking across nonresidential and residential students in a campus system that contains both residential and nonresidential campuses. Our analyses highlight that sexual victimization rates, characteristics, and post-assault help-seeking patterns vary by campus type. Interestingly, while nonresidential students on nonresidential campuses reported lower rates of victimization, they accessed formal support resources at higher rates than students on a residential campus. Findings underscore the importance of accounting for campus type in campus sexual violence research and programming and to center nonresidential campuses to learn more about the strategies they adopt to address their students' unique victimization needs and experiences.

Progress in qualitative study on mental health service demand of children and adolescents with adverse childhood experiences

As a global public health problem, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is an important factor leading to serious psychological and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. Mental health service plan based on mental health service needs is the key to effectively improve the psychological problems of children and adolescents with ACEs. Emotional support, life skills training, mental health education, and individualized psychological intervention can effectively improve the mental health of children and adolescents with ACEs. Among them, emotional support is an important way to help individual reduce psychological and behavioral problems; secondly, life skills training can significantly improve the individual's psychosocial ability; and mental health education is a necessary way to promote the development of individual mental health. Individualized psychological intervention can promote individual to obtain more professional mental health service and improve their psychological symptoms, which is crucial for preventing the occurrence of mental health problems. Future research can develop targeted mental health interventions based on the specific mental health service needs.

Assessing feasibility of an adolescent relationship abuse prevention program for girls

INTRODUCTION

Sexual violence and relationship abuse are prevalent among adolescents and programs promoting gender equity, reproductive justice, and healthy relationships are key strategies for prevention. While such "gender transformative" approaches appear promising for boys, they have not been evaluated among girls. This study assessed the feasibility of this community-based program, called Sisterhood 2.0, among girls in socially disadvantaged urban neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental trial examined feasibility of Sisterhood 2.0 (n = 246), delivered through 8 weekly sessions, assessed through attendance, retention and satisfaction. Participants completed surveys at baseline and end of program assessing other relevant measures. Generalized linear mixed models estimated changes from baseline to follow up comparing intervention to control participants.

RESULTS

Eleven neighborhoods were assigned to Sisterhood 2.0 (n = 5 neighborhoods) or job-readiness training (n = 6 neighborhoods). Girls were between the ages of 13 and 19, 8-10th graders (59%), and self-identified as Black (69%). Participants most often attended because they thought the program would be interesting (74%) and returned because of the women teaching the program (71%). Girls reported experiences with physical adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) (30% in both arms), emotional ARA (66% intervention; 56% control), or sexual ARA (11% intervention; 12% control). Physical ARA perpetration was high in both arms (intervention: 47%; control: 46%). Significant intervention effects were observed in recognition of abuse (β = 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.03-0.78). No other significant intervention effects were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-based gender-transformative programming for girls is feasible and may be a promising approach for addressing interpersonal violence and promoting sexual health.

Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention Programming on Commuter Campuses: Wisdom From Students and Campus Personnel

Responding to the dearth of literature regarding sexual and relationship violence prevention programming on nonresidential university campuses, this study investigates how students and staff conceptualize prevention on commuter campuses. We use qualitative analysis of data from interviews with personnel, and focus groups with students on three commuter campuses and describe (a) the unique considerations associated with implementing prevention in commuter contexts and (b) core elements of comprehensive prevention approaches on these campuses. Results suggest that comprehensive prevention programming is desired by commuter campus stakeholders, but requires policy revision, creative delivery strategies, and student involvement, among other factors, to be realized.