Opening the "Black Box": Student-Generated Solutions to Improve Sexual Violence Response and Prevention Efforts for Undergraduates on College Campuses

Campus-based sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) are prevalent issues that impact students detrimentally. Guided by community-based participatory research, this qualitative study assessed undergraduate students' perceptions of available campus SVSH resources, gaps in services, and recommendations for solutions for SVSH at three universities in California via interviews and focus groups. Approximately half of participants were unaware of available SVSH services, while others had varying knowledge of service availability and experiences with services. Students want better-funded, trauma-informed, and survivor-centered services and providers who share their identities and lived experiences. We provide multi-level student-centered solutions to improve current campus-based SVSH prevention efforts.

Student-Athletes', Coaches', and Administrators' Perspectives of Sexual Violence Prevention on Three Campuses with National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and II Athletic Programs

Research has found associations between intercollegiate athletics and risk for sexual violence, and that sexual violence is more pervasive at colleges and universities with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic programs, relative to NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and no athletic programs. Simultaneously, sports involvement is linked with prosocial values and there are documented developmental benefits of sports participation. College athletic programs hold promise for fostering sexual violence prevention but there is limited knowledge about how student-athletes conceptualize sexual violence and how athletes, coaches, and administrators perceive available prevention and response programs. We conducted seven Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 21 In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) with student-athletes, athletic directors, and coaches from public university Division I (n = 2) and Division II (n = 1) campuses. We assessed perceptions of sexual violence, knowledge and opinions of available prevention and response programs, and sought input on how to bridge gaps in campus sexual violence policies. Student-athletes associated sexual violence with alcohol in their relationships with peers and asymmetrical power dynamics in relationships with coaches and faculty. Athletes felt strong connections with teammates and sports programs but isolated from the larger campus. This created barriers to students' use of services and the likelihood of reporting sexual violence. Athletes felt the mandatory sexual violence prevention training, including additional NCAA components, were ineffective and offered to protect the university and its athletic programs from legal complications or cultural ridicule. Athletic staff were aware of policies and programs for reporting and referring sexual violence cases but their knowledge on how these served students was limited. Student-athletes were uncomfortable disclosing information regarding relationships and sexual violence to coaches and preferred peer-led prevention approaches.

Student, Staff, and Faculty Perspectives on Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence on 3 Public University Campuses: Protocol for the UC Speaks Up Study and Preliminary Results

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner and sexual violence are pervasive public health issues on college and university campuses in the United States. Research is recommended for creating and maintaining effective, relevant, and acceptable prevention programs and response services for student survivors.

OBJECTIVE

The University of California (UC) Speaks Up study aims to examine factors contributing to intimate partner and sexual violence on 3 UC campuses and use the findings to develop and test interventions and policies to prevent violence, promote health, and lay the groundwork for subsequent large-scale quantitative research.

METHODS

A mixed methods study was conducted at UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. Phase I (2017-2020) involved a resource audit; cultural consensus modeling of students' perceptions of sexual consent; in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions with students to understand perceptions of campus environment related to experiences as well as prevention of and responses to violence; and IDIs with faculty, staff, and community stakeholders to investigate institutional and community arrangements influencing students' lives and experiences. Phase II (2020-ongoing) involves IDIs with student survivors to assess the use and perceptions of campus and community services. Qualitative content analysis is used to generate substantive codes and subthemes that emerge, using a thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

In January 2019, we conducted 149 free-listing interviews and 214 web-based surveys with undergraduate and graduate and professional students for the cultural consensus modeling. Between February 2019 and June 2019, 179 IDIs were conducted with 86 (48%) undergraduate students, 21 (11.7%) graduate and professional students, 34 (19%) staff members, 27 (15.1%) faculty members, and 11 (6.1%) community stakeholders, and 35 focus group discussions (27/35, 77% with undergraduate students and 8/35, 23% with graduate and professional students) were conducted with 201 participants. Since September 2020, 50% (15/30) of the planned student survivor interviews have been conducted. This segment of data collection was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment is ongoing.

CONCLUSIONS

Data analysis and phase II data collection are ongoing. The findings will be used to develop and test interventions for preventing violence, promoting health and well-being, and ensuring that survivor services are relevant and acceptable to and meet the needs of all individuals in the campus community, including those who are typically understudied. The findings will also be used to prepare for rigorous, UC-system-wide public health prevention research.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/31189.

Understanding sexual and reproductive healthcare-seeking behaviors of college students at University of California's on-campus health clinic

Objective: With conditions such as sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies disproportionately impacting college students who identify as people with uteruses (PWUs), this qualitative study uses frameworks of narrative medicine and the socioecological model to explore diverse perspectives of PWUs toward seeking sexual and reproductive health services at the on-campus Arthur Ashe Women's Health Clinic at the University of California, Los Angeles. Participants: 151 students completed the eligibility screening survey, of whom 38 participated in the interviews. Methods: Participants were recruited via a screening survey and then purposely sampled to participate in an in-depth interview or focus group discussion. Interview transcripts were iteratively coded and analyzed. Results: Student recommendations for the clinic focused on increasing accessibility and duration of appointments, expanding price transparency, and offering post-appointment support, among others. Conclusion: This study elucidates the healthcare-seeking behaviors and attitudes of PWUs within the college context to work toward more adequate and equitable on-campus sexual and reproductive health.

Students' perceptions of the relationship between sexual violence and alcohol use: qualitative findings from three public university campuses

Objective: Examine undergraduate students' perceptions of the connections between alcohol consumption and sexual violence, associated campus-based prevention efforts, and recommendations for improvements. Participants: Undergraduate students (n = 244) at three large public universities. Methods: Qualitative thematic secondary analysis was conducted using data from 86 in-depth interviews and 27 focus group discussions conducted January - June 2019. Results: Student responses depicted complicated connections between alcohol use, consent, and sexual violence. Students indicated confusion about consent when both parties were intoxicated and stated that existing prevention programming was inadequate. Students recommended integrating elements of consent into campus alcohol prevention and information about alcohol's effects into sexual violence prevention programming. Conclusion: This study centers undergraduate students' perceptions of the connection between sexual violence and alcohol, and their recommendations on how to address the often-co-occurring harms. Universities must integrate alcohol and sexual violence prevention programming to respond to the realities of undergraduate students more effectively.