An Investigation of a Sexual Assault Prevention Program

Ohio University Athens, Athens OH

Investigators

Abstract

The problem to be addressed in the proposed investigation is the high rates of sexual violence on[unreadable] college campuses. Typically very brief psychoeducational interventions have been administered to[unreadable] groups of men and women, often in a mixed-sex format. Despite the inherent problems with[unreadable] conducting mixed-sex and brief interventions, most efforts on college campuses have utilized this[unreadable] format. The purpose of the proposed project is to investigate a comprehensive sexual assault[unreadable] prevention program for men and women, utilizing theoretically-derived interventions administered in[unreadable] a single-sex format. Participants will be 1,200 college students (600 men and 600 women) living in[unreadable] dormitories on the campus of a mid-sized university. Dorms will be randomly assigned to either the[unreadable] intervention dorm or the waiting-list control dorm. Interventions for men will involve a program[unreadable] !based on a social norms model of change and the women's intervention includes the teaching of[unreadable] self-defense and risk reduction strategies. It is hypothesized that the intervention group men will[unreadable] evidence positive attitude changes as they relate to the acceptance of sexual aggression,[unreadable] decreases in bystander behavior, a clearer understanding of consent, more prosocial behavioral[unreadable] intentions, and decreases in rates of sexual perpetration over a seven-month follow-up period[unreadable] compared to the waiting-list control group. For the women, it is hypothesized that they will evidence[unreadable] greater assertiveness in responding to threatening situations, a better understanding of risky[unreadable] situations, greater use of protective behaviors, increases in self-efficacy, and experience lower[unreadable] rates of sexual victimization over a seven-month follow-up period compared to the control group[unreadable] women. Analyses will be conducted using Analyses of Variance and Regression techniques. If[unreadable] proven effective, the program can easily be disseminated to other universities throughout the[unreadable] country.