Preventing Campus Sexual Assault: Evaluating Studies of Male Offender Prevention Programs and Determining Best Practices

Abstract

Campus sexual assault is becoming a highly publicized issue, with the U.S. White House recently releasing a report urging universities to improve prevention efforts through systematic evaluations, policies, reporting procedures, and victim support (U.S. White House Task Force, 2014). Although these recent headlines have focused attention on universities’ responses to sexual assault, research in prevention program effectiveness has been conducted in university settings for over 30 years. This thesis focuses on past research in primary prevention in facilitated educational trainings for college men. This thesis reviews studies on interventions implemented on college campuses by exploring the most effective practices, and illuminating some of the ongoing challenges in prevention research. The results indicate that some of the most effective practices in sexual assault prevention programs for men include components that educate participants about rape statistics; debunk rape myths and reduce myth acceptance; increase victim empathy through descriptions of the impacts of sexual assault; address the role masculine gender norms and socialization play in sexual assault; and encourage bystander intervention. Some of the challenges in measuring the effectiveness of these programs include the dearth of longitudinal evaluations and demonstrated durability of effects; lack of evaluations of incidence of sexual assault; implementation of only single sessions of the program; lack of accountability for social desirability; and the limited understanding of the causes of sexual