Athletic Participation and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: Investigating Sport Involvement, Self-Esteem, and Abuse Patterns for Women and Men

Alcohol Use, Rape Myth Acceptance, Rape Empathy, and Sexual Assault History Influence the Believability of a Hypothetical Victim's Report of Sexual Assault

College sexual assault is a common problem, and survivors often do not report their experience to college campus officials or law enforcement for fear of not being believed. This study examined how contextual factors such as alcohol use and whether the perpetrator was described as a student-athlete or student, and rater characteristics, such as the history of sexual assault and attitudes toward rape, influenced college students' perceptions of the believability of a hypothetical victim's sexual assault account. In all, 449 (N = 449) undergraduates read a vignette describing a hypothetical sexual assault and were assigned randomly to one of four conditions with varying contextual features: college athlete-no alcohol, college athlete-alcohol, college student-no alcohol, or college student-alcohol. They then rated how much they believed the victim in the vignette had been raped (0 [not at all] to 100 [completely]). The presence of alcohol use in the vignette was associated with lower ratings of believability, and participants who were higher in rape myth acceptance and lower in rape empathy rated the hypothetical victim's rape account as less believable. In addition, women who had been raped previously rated the victim in the vignette as more believable than women with no history of sexual assault. Implications for how college campuses might respond more effectively to reported sexual assaults are discussed.

Attitudes toward dating violence among Turkish university students: The relationships with self-esteem level and gender roles

The current study aimed to determine the relationships between attitudes toward dating violence, self-esteem, and gender roles. Men supported dating violence more than women, and the attitudes toward gender roles and self-esteem level were found to have a significant positive correlation with attitudes toward dating violence. For women, attitudes toward gender roles and levels of self-esteem predicted attitudes toward dating violence. The only significant variable in predicting attitudes toward dating violence in men was their attitude toward gender roles. The prevention activities should begin with identifying the risk factors.

Neighborhood Social Support and Social Participation as Predictors of Dating Violence

Many adolescents experience violence in the context of dating and romantic relationships. Neighborhoods can influence dating violence by offering certain resources which can provide social support and opportunities for social participation, but knowledge about these effects is still limited. The purpose of the current study was to (a) assess the association between neighborhood social support, social participation, and dating violence, and (b) explore possible gender difference in these associations. This study was conducted on a subsample of 511 participants living in Montréal from the Québec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS 2016-2017). QHSHSS data were used to measure psychological and physical/sexual violence (perpetration and victimization), neighborhood social support, and social participation, as well as individual and family covariates. Several neighborhood-level data from multiple sources were also used as covariates. Logistic regressions were performed to estimate associations between neighborhood social support and social participation, and Dating violence (DV). Analyses were conducted separately for girls and boys to explore possible gender differences. Findings suggest that girls who reported high neighborhood social support had a lower risk of perpetrating psychological DV. High social participation was associated with a lower risk of perpetrating physical/sexual DV for girls, whereas it was associated with a higher risk of perpetrating psychological DV for boys. Preventive strategies to foster social support in neighborhoods, such as mentoring programs, and the development of community organizations to increase the social participation of adolescents could help reduce DV. To address the perpetration of DV by boys, prevention programs in community and sports organizations targeting male peer groups should also be developed to prevent these behaviors.

Understanding the Roles of Sport and Alcohol Use in Adolescence on Physical and Sexual Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in Young Adulthood: Findings From a Sex-Stratified Multilevel Analysis

Adolescent peer groups shape beliefs that dictate behavioral norms, including intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration behaviors, with lasting influence into adulthood. This study examines the role of sport engagement and alcohol use in adolescence on perpetration of physical and sexual IPV in young adulthood. A secondary data analysis was conducted with data from 3411 male and 4318 female participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health study. Sports and other school activity participation, as well as alcohol use, were measured in middle and high school students. Intimate partner violence perpetration was measured six years later with items from the revised Conflict Tactics Scales. Sex-stratified logistic cross-classified multilevel analyses indicate that, for males, participation in football in adolescence was associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration in young adulthood (aOR:1.26, p = .01). For males and females, non-engagement in any school activities in adolescence was associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration in young adulthood (male aOR: 1.52, p < .01; female aOR: 1.19, p = .04). Alcohol use in adolescence was also associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration in young adulthood for both males and females, even when low level drinking (1-2 drinks in the past 12 months) was reported (male aOR: 1.40, p < .01; female aOR: 1.38, p < .01). Random-effect estimates indicate small but significant contributions of adolescent peer, school, and neighborhood contexts on IPV perpetration in young adulthood for both boys and girls. These findings highlight that football engagement among boys, and alcohol use among boys and girls, are linked to longer-term risk for IPV perpetration, but engagement in other sports and school activities appear to serve as protective factors. These findings, taken with those regarding social context effects, suggest that positive social environment and networks in adolescence, inclusive of those offered in some sports, can be useful platforms for IPV prevention efforts.

Responding to Violence Against Women in Sport: Challenges Facing Sport Organizations in Victoria, Australia

Purpose: Violence against women is a global epidemic. Such violence occurs in sport, although previous research has focused on child/youth sexual abuse or elite sport. Despite sport being identified as having a role in preventing violence against women, little is known about how sport organizations respond to violence against adult women in community sport. Methods: Twenty-two individual participants from 12 sports organizations based in Victoria, Australia participated in this empirical and applied Concept Mapping study to explore the perceived challenges sports organizations face in responding to violence against women. Concept Mapping is a mixed-method participatory approach and we analyzed the results using a socio-ecological framework. Results: Sports administrators considered training-related challenges as the most important but most difficult to address. Challenges related to organizational capacity/social environment were perceived as easier but less important to address. Conclusions: Key initiatives can be developed to support sport organizations to respond to violence against women in sport, but they will need assistance to prioritize initiatives addressing the most important challenges given a perceived lack of capacity to do so.

Sexual Assault Prevention With Student-Athletes: Exploring Perceptions of the Campus Climate and Awareness of Sexual Assault Policies and Resources

Increasing awareness of school sexual assault policies and resources is a central component of sexual assault prevention. Research suggests that the state of the campus climate impacts an individual's level of awareness, particularly for at-risk groups like student-athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine how macro factors such as participation in sexual assault prevention, perceptions of the institutional response to addressing sexual assault, and perceptions of campus staff (i.e., campus police, athletic staff, and administration) are associated with awareness of sexual assault policies and resources. Student-athletes at five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools participated in a web-based survey to assess their perceptions of the campus climate and awareness of sexual assault policies and resources. The results from an ordinary least squares multiple regression model revealed that past participation in sexual assault prevention, more positive perceptions of the institutional response, and more positive perceptions of campus police and administration were associated with a greater awareness of sexual assault policies and resources while controlling for race, ethnicity, and gender. Perceptions of athletic staff was not significantly related to awareness of policies and resources. These findings demonstrate that delivering consistent messaging and engaging campus staff in sexual assault prevention provides a foundation for building a positive campus climate which, in turn, may reduce campus sexual assault.

Exploring the Relationship Between Participation in an Adult-women's Soccer League and Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Kenya

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Sub-Saharan Africa are among the highest of any region in the world. Empirical studies on the effectiveness of IPV-prevention programs in Africa, though few, suggest that successful programs have emphasized community-level engagement and attitudinal change around gender roles. This study explored the relationship between adult women's participation in an all-women's soccer league and IPV in rural Kenya. Nikumbuke Project is a health- and literacy-based program for 702 women in Kwale County, Kenya, that also hosts a women's soccer league. A total of 684 Nikumbuke members completed surveys for this study, 543 of whom identified as having had a partner in the preceding 12 months and were included in this analysis. Participants in the study were, on average, in their late 30s, married with 4-6 children, a primary education or less, and no source of formal employment. Logistic regression models examined the association between a woman's participation in the soccer league and the odds that she would have experienced recent IPV, controlling for other covariates. Women who played on soccer teams had 59% lower odds of reporting physical IPV in the preceding 12 months and approximately 43% lower odds of reporting any form of IPV during the same period compared to women who did not play soccer. Support of more gender-equitable norms was associated with lower odds of all forms of recent violence. More research is needed to identify the underlying reasons for these observed effects and to determine the presence of a causal or temporal relationship between adult women's sports and IPV-risk reduction. Nonetheless, findings from this study point to a novel IPV intervention in communities that might otherwise be resistant to more overt attempts to address gender-based violence (GBV) or where social service agencies with the capacity for IPV-prevention programming may be limited.

Participation in Sport, Empowerment, and Safety From Violence: Critiquing the Connections Through Women's Experiences in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Men's violence against women is a global issue, and in recent decades its relationship with sport has been examined. Much research has focused on male athletes as perpetrators, seeking to understand how sport may foster misogynistic behavior. However, paradoxically, recent research has also examined women's involvement in sport as a protective factor against gendered violence. This article explores this, drawing on the perspectives of 20 women. We argue that sport was experienced in contradictory ways, and thus, positioning women's involvement in sport as a protective factor obscures complex experiences and reinforces the narrative that women are responsible for their safety.

Relationship between self-esteem, perception of gender and attitudes towards dating violence among university students

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between self-esteem, perception of gender, and attitudes towards dating violence among university students.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This descriptive study with a correlational and cross-sectional design was conducted with the participation of 686 university students.

FINDINGS

Mother's educational level, gender, having a dating relationship, being exposed to dating violence in the relationship, perception of gender, self-esteem, and being exposed to/witnessing sexual/domestic violence were determined to be statistically significant predictive factors of the attitudes of the students towards dating violence.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses should plan evidence-based and individualized counseling services for young people who are the victims of dating violence by considering possible risk factors.

A Socioecological Model of Risk Associated With Campus Sexual Assault in a Representative Sample of Liberal Arts College Students

Campus sexual assault (CSA) is a growing area of research and public health concern, yet little research has considered the sociocultural context in which CSA occurs or the effect of sociocultural factors on the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of CSA survivors. This study describes the results of a web-based census survey administered to students at a liberal arts college. Of the 1,611 students who completed the survey (74% female; 71.4% White, 4.3% African American, 12% Hispanic), 13.5% reported experiencing at least one type of completed or attempted CSA. Female students, participants in Greek life, and students who reported victimization prior to college were more likely to report having experienced CSA. CSA was positively correlated with PTSD symptoms, and this relationship was stronger for racial/ethnic minorities, those who reported less sense of community, and those who were more aware of campus services to address CSA. This study demonstrates multiple levels of sociocultural influence on the mental health of college students who have experienced CSA and may suggest ways for improving prevention and intervention strategies to address CSA and its consequences.