Who do They Tell? College Students' Formal and Informal Disclosure of Sexual Violence, Sexual Harassment, Stalking, and Dating Violence by Gender, Sexual Identity, and Race

A Review of Evidence-Based Dating Violence Prevention Programs With Behavioral Change Outcomes for Adolescents and Young Adults

Adolescent dating violence (DV) is not only a social but also a public health problem, necessitating the development and scale-up of prevention strategies. We conducted a review of the literature to identify adolescent and young adult DV prevention programs that have shown promising behavioral outcomes. The literature search covered articles published from 1996 to 2022 and indexed in Medline, Cochrane, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Embase. The review focused on programs implemented and evaluated in the United States or Canada that included intervention and comparison groups, a baseline assessment, and at least one post-assessment conducted after the intervention exposure. Promising behavioral outcomes were defined as positive, statistically significant differences between intervention and comparison groups with respect to DV perpetration or victimization or bystander behavior in relation to DV. A total of 118 articles were screened by abstract and read in-depth. Eighteen programs that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Of these programs, one showed reductions in DV victimization, six showed reductions in DV perpetration, and nine showed behavioral reductions in both violence perpetration and victimization. The review highlighted that while multiple programs have demonstrated efficacy in preventing or reducing intimate partner violence in North American youth populations, more robust research on the replication of these programs outside researcher-controlled environments is needed. Furthermore, issues with program inclusivity, such as with sex and gender-minority individuals, should be considered in future intervention development and replication research.

A Comparative Study of the Help-Seeking Behavior of Victims of Contact Sexual Violence and Image-Based Sexual Harassment and Abuse

Sexual victimization may have serious consequences for victims' well-being. Thus, seeking support is encouraged and associated with positive outcomes. However, no research has compared the help-seeking behavior of victims of contact and image-based (i.e., noncontact) sexual violence. This study explores the differences in help-seeking behavior, and barriers to help-seeking, by comparing datasets from two online survey studies. The findings highlight that victims of contact sexual violence appear more likely to seek help, but also experience the barriers to help-seeking as greater. An exception is the minimization of the incident, which is experienced similarly by both. Future longitudinal research is recommended.

Incident, Individual, and Campus Factors Associated with Cisgender Men's Post Sexual Victimization Formal Help Seeking

INTRODUCTION

This study explored factors associated with help seeking among cisgender men college and university students who experienced sexual victimization.

METHODS

We used multilevel logistic regression on data from 33 campuses (n = 4,474 students, 4,674 incidents) to model the association between cisgender men's help seeking and incident, individual, and campus factors.

RESULTS

Incident, individual, and campus factors were associated with help seeking odds. Some factors were associated with increased help seeking odds (e.g. perpetrator in a position of power, being gay or having a disability, campus-level racial diversity), others with decreased odds (e.g. drinking before an incident).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings have implications for programs and policies. Future studies should attend to the roles of masculinity, power, and campus contexts.

Culturally Diverse Female-Identified Students Discuss Sexual Assault Policies: Dialectics of Safety/Danger

This article presents dialectical themes that emerged from the grounded theory analysis of 42 focus groups about university sexual assault policies held at four universities in Nova Scotia, Canada. Fourteen cultural communities were represented. Data from female-identified focus groups representing five cultures is deployed to exemplify dialectical themes. When it comes to university sexual assault policies and services, students navigate conflicting needs for disclosure and privacy, justice, and protection. These tensions are intersectionally shaped by gender and culture. Our analysis and recommendations can inform practitioners, including social workers, as they support survivors/victims, particularly of campus sexual violence, in navigating the complexities of decisions about seeking support and/or justice.

Evidence That Pervasive Body Gaze Behavior in Heterosexual Men Is a Social Marker for Implicit, Physiological, and Explicit Sexual Assault Propensities

Deliberate and effortful attempts to gaze at the bodies of women is emerging as a valuable marker of sexual objectification in men. Some preliminary evidence suggests that pervasive body gaze behavior may also accompany insidious attitudes which can facilitate sexual assault. The present study aimed to further explore this potential by examining pervasive body gaze associations with explicit, implicit, and physiological sexual assault propensity measures. We presented 110 heterosexual male participants with images of fully and partially dressed women with and without injuries while measuring their skin conductance responses. We also captured implicit and explicit sexual assault measures in addition to self-reported pervasive body gaze behavior. Pervasive body gaze behavior was significantly correlated with rape myth acceptance attitudes, prior perpetration of sexual assault, a stronger implicit association between erotica and aggression, and lower physiological reactivity during exposure to partially dressed injured women. These findings suggest that body gaze towards women could be a behavioral marker for inclinations to victim blame, preferences for rough sexual conduct, and a physiological desensitization towards female victims. This study further validates a five item self-reported body gaze measure as a valuable tool for detecting deviant sexual objectification attitudes and affective states. As such, measurement and observation of body gaze behavior could be useful for developing risk assessments, estimating intervention efficacy, and enhancing public awareness.

Health screenings in college health centers: Variations in practice

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the routine screening of female students in college health centers for six priority health-related behaviors and experiences (tobacco use, alcohol use, eating disorders [EDs], obesity, anxiety and depression, intimate partner violence/sexual violence [IPV/SV]), and to identify variations in practice. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 1,221 healthcare providers (HCPs), including nurse practitioners, physicians, and physician assistants, from 471 U.S. college health centers. Methods: HCPs completed surveys (on-line or paper) and reported on routine screening of female college students. Results: HCPs reported consistently high rates (75-85%) of screening for tobacco use, alcohol use, and anxiety/depression. Rates of screening for IPV/SV, obesity and EDs were much lower. Nurse practitioners reported the highest IPV/SV screening rates. Conclusions: College health centers present unique opportunities for screening, case-finding and intervening to reduce long-term sequelae. Providers are well-positioned to lead initiatives to improve screening practices.

Sexual Violence Among Higher Education Students in the United Kingdom: Results from the Oxford Understanding Relationships, Sex, Power, Abuse and Consent Experiences Study

Sexual violence (SV) experienced by higher education students is a prevalent public health problem. Collecting data on SV through self-report surveys in higher education institutions (HEIs) is essential for estimating the scope of the problem, the first step to adequately resourcing and implementing prevention and response programming and policies. However, in the United Kingdom, data is limited. We used data from the cross-sectional Oxford Understanding Relationships, Sex, Power, Abuse and Consent Experiences survey, administered to all students at a university in the United Kingdom in May 2021 (n = 25,820), to estimate the past year prevalence of SV. We analyzed data from respondents who answered at least one question on SV (n = 1,318) and found that 20.5% of respondents experienced at least one act of attempted or forced sexual touching or rape, and 52.7% of respondents experienced at least one act of sexual harassment (SH). We found that women experienced the highest rates of SV. Attempted forced sexual touching was far more common than forced sexual touching, or rape. Sexist remarks or jokes were the most common act of SH. Most acts of SV took place at the university. These findings reveal that the prevalence of SV in HEIs in the United Kingdom could be far higher than what is experienced in the general population. While this study reflects the context in only one institution, it underlines the need for continued monitoring to develop rigorous, evidence-based, and targeted prevention and response strategies.

Between "You" and "Me": Effects of Pronouns and Order on Disclosing Sexual Assault

The wording of self-report instruments likely affects its responses; however, there has been very little inquiry into the topic. The purpose of this study was to examine how items in a sexual assault experiences questionnaire varied based on pronouns (first person or second person) and order (sexual-behavior or coercive-tactic first) affected responses. College students (N = 979) were randomly assigned in a 2 by 2 between-subjects experiment to experimental versions of the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES). The findings indicated that the condition with second-person pronouns and coercive-tactic first phrasing had the highest rate of disclosure. Based on reading time results, respondents may have engaged more in processing of items with second-person pronouns or coercive-tactic first phrasing. Moreover, respondents in coercive-tactic first conditions reported more mental effort was required in answering compared to respondents in the sexual-behavior first conditions. There was no effect of condition on negative affect and very little change in negative affect from completing the SES. Overall, the results support the use of second-person pronouns and coercive-tactic first phrasing in sexual assault self-report instruments to support disclosure of this stigmatized crime. Future research should examine how these findings may be extended to other self-report instruments.

Associations Among Online Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Victimization, Coping and Social Isolation

Social reactions to the disclosure of sexual victimization are critical to post-assault recovery. The popular social media hashtag "#MeToo" resulted in numerous survivors of sexual victimization disclosing their experience online. Whereas previous research has examined the association between social reactions to in-person disclosure of sexual victimization and factors commonly associated with adjustment among survivors - such as coping and social support - research is needed to examine correlates of social reactions to online disclosure of sexual victimization. Accordingly, the current study investigated the relationship between online social reactions to the disclosure of sexual victimization via #MeToo and engagement in various coping strategies (problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping) and social isolation among a sample of 195 adults with a history of sexual victimization. Results indicated that the provision of online resources was associated with lower use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Receipt of online emotional and informational support was associated with increased use of emotion-focused coping strategies. Further, receipt of online social reactions that turned against the survivor and receipt of online social reactions that "made fun of you, insulted you, or said something to hurt you" were associated with higher levels of social isolation. Lastly, online unsupportive acknowledgment and "sharing your tweet with other people" were associated with lower levels of social isolation. Results highlight how online social reactions to disclosure of sexual victimization via #MeToo intersect with coping and social support among survivors of sexual victimization and help to give context to the experience of online disclosure of sexual victimization.

Social Reactions to Disclosures of Intimate Partner Stalking and Unwanted Pursuit Behaviors: Associations With PTSD, Academic Outcomes, and Empowerment

Among college survivors of unwanted pursuit behaviors (UPBs; 40.1%, n = 189) or intimate partner stalking (IPS, i.e., UPBs causing emotional distress; 32.1%, n = 151), the present study examined effects of social reactions to disclosures on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, academic outcomes, and personal empowerment. Compared to UPB survivors, IPS survivors were more likely to disclose and reported higher positive and negative reactions to disclosure as well as greater frequency of UPBs/IPS, IPV, and PTSD symptoms. Among both groups, only negative social reactions were positively associated with PTSD symptoms. However, among IPS (but not UPB) survivors, only positive social reactions were related to academic outcomes and empowerment when controlling for PTSD and IPS frequency. Implications for research and practice are discussed.