Awareness Of Sexual Abuse Research Articles

Campus Sexual Assault: Forging an Action-Focused Research Agenda.

In recent years, the problem of campus-based sexual assault has emerged as a prominent matter of concern for institutions of higher education. Amid expanded media attention and a shifting policy landscape, many institutions have grappled with programmatic and legal challenges related to systems of investigation and adjudication of sexual assault cases. Meanwhile, many have worked to develop and deploy proactive preventive measures including those involving bystander engagement, peer-driven interventions, sexual assault awareness campaigns, self-defense programs, and the innovative use of social media and other technology. In this context, there is a growing need for high-quality empirical research that can shed light on the extent and nature of campus sexual assault; evaluate existing institutional systems and processes; and promote the development, testing, and evaluation of novel approaches that respond to unmet needs and challenges. As an introduction to a special journal issue devoted to this nascent but rapidly emerging field of inquiry, this article offers context and perspective on the vital role that research can play in the development and advancement of effective policies and strategies to prevent and effectively respond to campus-based sexual assault.

Professionals' Awareness of Sexual Abuse in Late Life: An Exploratory Survey.

The sexual abuse phenomenon is considered taboo. It has been discussed, to date, mainly in relation to children and young women, with insufficient attention to sexual abuse in a late-life context. The aim of this survey was to explore professionals' awareness of elder sexual abuse (ESA). The survey was conducted among 161 Jewish and Arab professionals from health care and social services, who worked with older adults in Israel. Of the entire sample, 70 professionals (only 43%) reported encountering at least one to three cases of ESA. A total of 98% of the victims were women, and the primary offender was the spouse (75%). In most cases (70%), the victim reported the abuse, which was mainly sexual assault (64%). All participants (100%) noted taking action. This exploratory survey indicates that professionals are partially aware of the existence of and the need to address the ESA phenomenon.

Demanding Respect: A Case Study About Black Female Sexuality in Popular Culture Focusing on Beyoncé Knowles

As our cultural values and political environments shift over time, we must always be unearthing new perspectives and constantly study how our recent past can inform our future. When Lea Trageser began studying women and gender studies, she realized that even present-day superstars and phenomena can be used to better understand age-old concepts like feminism and sexuality. “I was finally able to merge three of my passions,” says Lea Trageser, remarking on her inspiration to research black female sexuality. Through the lens of popular culture, Trageser conducted a case study of Beyonce Knowles and her journey to controlling her sexuality. As a long-time Beyonce fan with interests in female sexuality and popular culture, Trageser says once she found out that it was possible to delve into those aspects together, she pursued it. Trageser will graduate in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in human development and minor in women’s and gender studies. She plans to attend graduate school to study sex therapy. Her research is both theoretically unique and familiar, as she applies traditional feminist theory combined with a colorful analysis of the career and sexuality of Beyonce Knowles. She breaks down the history of black female sexuality in popular culture, drawing comparisons between artists of different races and illustrating how black females can take charge of their sexuality. Much of her analysis discusses an individualized perspective of how women can personally control their sexuality and how they are sexualized through their artistic expression. “If someone else is in charge, then it’s not their power so it’s hard to respect them,” said Trageser, elaborating on the importance of a woman taking control of her own sexualization and her own sexual expression. Her research focuses on black feminist themes such as queer theory and intersectionality, but what is unique about her work she says, is the idea of reclamation. Beyonce, through the production and release of her 2013 self-titled album, reclaimed her sexuality when she created and distributed the entire album on her own terms, firing her father as a manager, releasing the album without announcing it, and filling it with explicitly sexual lyrics and accompanying music videos. While Beyonce has been largely criticized for her work on the album, Trageser said that her work actually commanded respect from her peers and her fans by taking control of her sexual expression and the presentation of her music. For Trageser, the topic of owning one’s sexuality and controlling one’s own sexualization transcends discussions of Beyonce Knowles or Madonna; these are struggles that can be applied to all women. “You can apply this to almost any popular culture industry. Acting, modeling, anything where women are objectified and sexualized,” she said, further pointing out the topic’s applicability to social movements like the Slut Walk and other sexual assault prevention and awareness campaigns. While Trageser hopes to continue studying sexuality as she moves on from Virginia Tech, she says that she will likely continue to apply what she’s learned about popular culture in her studies, especially since popular culture so often in uences issues of female sexuality.

A Pre-experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge regarding Awareness about Sexual Abuse among the Adolescents studying in selected School of District Gurdaspur, Punjab

Sexual abuse, referred to as molestation, is forcing undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or (often pejoratively) molester. The present study was carried out to assess the level of knowledge regarding awareness of sexual abuse among adolescent girls in selected school of District Gurdaspur, Punjab. and to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding awareness of sexual abuse in terms of knowledge of adolescent girls. The objective for study was: To assess the pre-test knowledge regarding awareness about sexual abuse among adolescents studying in selected school.To assess the post-test knowledge regarding awareness about sexual abuse among adolescents studying in selected school.To compare the pre-test post-test knowledge regarding awareness about sexual abuse among adolescents studying in selected school.To determine the association of pre-test and post-test knowledge score regarding awareness about sexual abuse among adolescents studying in selected school with selected socio-demographic variables.

The Bystander Approach to Sexual Assault Risk Reduction: Effects on Risk Recognition, Perceived Self-Efficacy, and Protective Behavior.

Several characteristics of sexual assault awareness programs for women are associated with meeting the goals of risk reduction. To date, the literature lacks an exploration of how single-sex programs affect women, particularly when they take a bystander intervention focus using women's risk recognition and avoidance as outcome measures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of The Women's Program (Foubert, 2011), a sexual assault awareness program geared toward women. Participants consisted of 103 undergraduate women attending a large, public university in the Midwest United States. Women in the treatment group viewed a presentation of The Women's Program, whereas the control group received no intervention. Consistent with hypotheses, program participants reported a greater ability to recognize risk cues, a greater willingness to engage in self-protective behaviors, and a greater level of perceived self-efficacy in handling threatening dating situations compared to the control group.

대학생의 성폭력 인식도가 성폭력 피해경험에 미치는 영향 : 성폭력 허용도의 매개효과

대학생의 성폭력 인식도가 성폭력 피해경험에 미치는 영향 : 성폭력 허용도의 매개효과

Effectiveness of a sexual assault awareness and prevention workshop for youth: A 3-month follow-up pragmatic cluster randomization study

Sexual violence and other forms of sexual assault and coercion have a pervasive presence in the lives of many young people. School and community services and programs that are geared toward sexual assault awareness and prevention of sexual violence have thus been offered to youth in high-school settings. The goal of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of one such sexual assault awareness and prevention workshop designed and presented specifically for male and female youth aged 15 to 17 over a three month follow-up. A sample of 794 youth recruited from two schools were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions. Participants completed self-report outcome measures that assessed their knowledge of sexual assault, awareness of available resources, attitudes toward sexual assault, ability to identify sexual assault and to respond appropriately to a disclosure of sexual assault as well as sexual victimization. The data were analyzed using random coefficient analyses, which revealed that the workshop was effective in improving general knowledge regarding sexual assault, awareness of resources in the event of experiencing sexual assault, and attitudes regarding sexual assault. Participation in the program was also shown to enhance youth's ability to recognize sexual assault in a dating context and to diminish hypothetical responses that deny or minimize sexual assault in a dating situation disclosed by a peer. With one exception, these improvements were similar for male and female youth. The results indicate that the workshop was effective and that revision of some aspects of the implementation could further maximize its impact.

Prävention von sexuellem Missbrauch an Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Behinderung - Erste Evaluationsergebnisse der SeMB-Studierendenfortbildung

In this paper first results of the Cologne evaluation study of prevention training on sexual abuse of children and adolescents with disabilities are presented. The study was conducted at three points of measurement (pre, post and follow-up) for an intervention and a control group of 212 students of Special Education at the University of Cologne. The results of the first two measurements show changes in knowledge, attitudes and awareness of sexual abuse in the intervention group. The present results indicate positive effects of the prevention training.

Mentoring up-cycled: creating a community-based intervention for sexually abused adolescents

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to detail a project that created a community-based mentoring intervention for sexually abused children and adolescents. The project features the use of family and community strengths, trauma sensitivity, current research and ecological theory to develop a curriculum for training mentors. Design/methodology/approach – This study used Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods to create a community-based intervention designed for sexually abused children and adolescents. This model supports the building and maintenance of the often fluid and relationship-driven processes that are characteristic of CBPR. The stages included: identification of research questions; assessment of community strengths, assets and challenges; defining priorities; developing research and data collection methodologies; collecting and analysing data; interpretation of findings; dissemination of findings; and applying findings to address action. Findings – The results include a recommendation to include community members in interventions for sexually abused adolescents. Research limitations/implications – The results of this study include recommendations for a culturally relevant training curriculum for mentors of sexually abused children and adolescents. Hallmarks of the resulting curriculum included using a hybrid of natural and programme mentors and inclusion of trauma sensitivity in training the mentors. The results from the pilot study are not generalisable since the pilot only included a small number of mentors and the effectiveness of the intervention was not tested. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for further development of a mentoring curriculum for sexually abused children and adolescents. This curriculum promotes several potential benefits, including: incorporation of families and communities in discussion and awareness of sexual abuse and trauma sensitivity; and formal training for individuals who have the potential to remain important in the life of the child or adolescent long after formal services have ceased. Originality/value – The literature shows a lack of community level interventions for sexually abused children and adolescents. The focus of this project was to expand the traditional ecological context of mentoring from a micro or individual level intervention to a community level intervention.

College students' perceived risk of sexual victimization and the role of optimistic bias.

Many college women believe that their chances of experiencing a sexual assault are less than their peers. This phenomenon, called optimistic bias, has been hypothesized to be one important element to address in sexual assault risk reduction and awareness programs aimed at reducing women's chances of experiencing a sexual assault. The present study examined the role that participants' (N = 89) perceived similarity to a narrator (portraying a sexual assault survivor) describing an assault plays in reducing this bias. The age of the narrator was manipulated (similar or dissimilar to age of participants) with the aim of assessing whether the program could produce reductions in optimistic bias for those participants who watched a video of someone similar to them in age. A significant interaction between pre- and post-program and age similarity indicated a significant decrease in optimistic bias from pre- to posttest for the similar group. Furthermore, an exploratory analysis indicated optimistic bias for White participants decreased from pre- to posttest, whereas optimistic bias for the Black participants increased. These results suggest that some factors such as age similarity may reduce optimistic bias in sexual assault risk reduction and awareness programs. However, a race dissimilarity may increase optimistic bias. Thus, more research is needed to understand the factors that affect optimistic bias with regard to sexual assault awareness.

아동의 성교육 경험, 성학대 인식, 성지식 및 성의식에 관한 연구

This research was performed for examining the differences of experience of sex education and the awareness of sexual abuse according to child's sex and economic background. Also the differences of sex knowledge and sexual consciousness were analyzed according to child's sex, economic background and sex education. Subjects were 425 children from two elementary schools and 10 community child centers in H city, Gyeonggi-do. The results were as follows. First, more girls thought the desirable place for sex education was home and more girls consulted sexual problems with their parents. Children from low economic backgrounds experienced sex education at school and community child centers rather than at home. Second, both boys and girls replied that sexual abuse was due to the attacker's fault but more girls than boys attributed the fault to themselves. Third, girls' sex knowledge grade was higher than boys. Fourth, boys showed a more open attitude toward heterosexual dating, and children with a low economic background showed a higher sex drive. Fifth, a high sex drive was related to low sexual knowledge, openness in dating and high sexual ethics.

R.U. Ready?: Peer Education & Bystander Intervention Sexual Assault Programming

R.U. Ready? at Georgetown University is an annual sexual assault awareness event that incorporates peer education and resources with opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to dialogue about providing bystander intervention throughout the campus community. Beyond dialogue, participants learn about student activism and the resources and skills to help a friend who has been assaulted. This initiative is a collaborative, effective, and sustainable program.

Study on the Relationship between Gender-Role Stereotypes, Sexual Assault Awareness and Permissible limit in the College Students.

This study was done to identify the relationship between gender-role stereotypes, sexual assault awareness and permissible limits in the college students. With a structured survey, a sample of 756 college students who agreed to participate in the study completed a self-administered questionnaire. The result showed that gender-role stereotypes differed significantly depending on gender and age, while awareness of sexual assault differed significantly depending on gender, age, and location of residence. The permissible limits in sexual assault differed significantly according to gender, relationship with parents, and location of residence. There were significant relationships among awareness of sexual assault, gender-role stereotypes, and permissible limits of sexual assault. The result will provide preliminary data and strategies to develop sexual assault prevention programs.

The “Symbolic Protest” Behind Women’s Reporting of Sexual Assault Crime to Police

We introduce the term symbolic protest to identify and analyze a key motivator for the reporting decisions of victims of sexual violence. We contend that reporting sexual assault crime to police is an important expression of “symbolic protest” at a criminal justice system that does not generally serve women’s interests. Women show great courage and self-sacrifice in reporting sexual assault crime, and we identify three major factors that motivate them to do so, namely, (a) the need to have sexual assault recognized as a crime, (b) a desire to raise community awareness of sexual assault, and (c) a desire to protect other women and girls.

An Evaluation of a Mixed-Gender Sexual Assault Prevention Program

This study evaluated the short-term effectiveness of a mixed-gender sexual assault prevention program developed for college students. Program participants (n = 177) were compared to non-program participants (n = 132) prior to the program and during a 2-week follow-up period on measures of rape myths, victim empathy, perceived negative consequences and estimated likelihood of committing rape, sexual communication, sexual assault awareness, and risky dating behavior. The prevention program was effective at increasing men's victim empathy and decreasing their adherence to rape myths but ineffective at changing women's assault-related knowledge, participation in risky dating behaviors, and sexual communication strategies. Limitations of the study and directions for future research in sexual assault prevention are addressed. Editors' Strategic Implications: This study provides an important example of the limitations of a single session prevention programming approach (even if it is well designed and executed) in addressing a systemic and pervasive problem like sexual assault on college campuses.

Late Summer Leadership

INITIATIVES FROM winter-spring legislatures tend to draw much of the public's attention. But by the last spring frost, most of these state legislatures had adjourned. By summer, public attention turned to staying cool and hydrated, and most of us were no longer paying attention to what education policy was hitting the fan. Other states, however, continued to do some legislating throughout June, July, and into the dog days of August. California, for example, sometimes seemed to produce as many bills during August as it did peaches. So fall's cool down is a good time for picking a few bills that ripened in the sunshine. Addressing the needs of the whole In Illinois, H.B. 4456 created the Commission on Children and Youth Act, noting that it has been over 22 years since an Illinois commission explored how the state serves children and youth and allocates resources that most effectively support its younger citizens. The commission will create a comprehensive five-year strategic plan for providing services to children, youth, and young adults from birth to 24, monitor its implementation, and review and revise the strategic plan where needed. The five-year strategic plan calls for the commission to make recommendations to achieve the following outcomes: * Thriving: preventive health. Access to adequate health care and education about healthy lifestyle choices to prevent illness and disease. * Learning: education completion. Opportunity to earn a high school diploma and receive appropriate individualized supports when faced with challenges in doing so. * Working: workforce development. Opportunity for education, skill building, and work experience to prepare them for success in the workforce. * Connecting: social and emotional development. Opportunities to develop essential social and emotional skills to communicate effectively, resolve conflict, and manage stress. * Leading: civic engagement. Opportunities to build relationships with adults and peers and cultivate leadership skills through service learning, mentoring, and other safe activities in their communities. The governor appoints up to 30 public members to the commission. Public members must include rural, suburban, and urban entities; direct service providers; child advocates; human rights organizations; faith-based service providers; philanthropic organizations that invest in children and youth; at least three parents of children under age 16; and at least three young people between ages 16 and 24. Multiple state agencies also are represented, but not in a voting capacity. Also in Illinois, H.B. 3677 requires that a comprehensive health education program include sexual assault awareness in secondary schools. Universities and community colleges must also provide sexual assault awareness education to incoming students. Employing Principals S.B. 273 in Massachusetts changed parameters for school principal contracts. Previously, state law specified that contracts would cover no more than three years. The new provision states that a principal's initial contract will be for at least one year and no more than three years, and a second contract would last at least three years and no more than five years unless both parties agree to a shorter term of employment. All subsequent contracts are to be for at least three years and no more than five years. Regardless of past employment, these conditions apply to the initial contract of each school principal. Calculating and Reducing Dropout Rates Massachusetts S.B. 2766 requires the state department of education to provide districts with a standardized format for reporting graduation and dropout data. This data must include a four-year graduation rate, five-year graduation rate, and adjusted graduation rates and must be disaggregated by limited English proficiency, low-income, special education, race or ethnicity, and gender. …

Narratives about violence: The words of college students

The Clothesline Project was created in 1990 to give women a creative outlet for describing their experiences with violence. Survivors of violence print messages on t-shirts which are displayed for the public during different events such as Victims’ Rights Week and Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Approximately 300 different projects are held each year in various locations across the world. In the current study, we examined the kinds of messages printed on the t-shirts by 48 participants in a Clothesline Project held on a college campus. The following five themes were uncovered: (1) messages to survivors, (2) messages to potential offenders, (3) love themes, (4) prevention themes, and (5) awareness-based themes. Implications are provided.

The Evaluation of a Sexual Assault Self-Defense and Risk-Reduction Program for College Women: A Prospective Study

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a sexual assault risk-reduction program that included a physical self-defense component for college women ( N = 500). Program group women significantly increased their protective behaviors over the 6-month follow-up period compared to the waiting-list control group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding rates of sexual victimization, assertive communication, or feelings of self-efficacy over the follow-up periods. Program group women who were victimized during the 3-month follow-up period evidenced less self-blame and greater offender blame for their assaults than control group women who were victimized following the program. Given that program women evidenced a greater awareness of sexual assault at the end of the study than control group women, the difficulty in addressing the impact of programming on rates of sexual victimization is discussed.

Addressing Sexual Assault on College Campuses: Guidelines for a Prevention/Awareness Week

The authors discuss concepts that are related to providing education and training regarding sexual assault, as outlined by the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, as amended in 1992. Because college counseling center staff members often initiate and plan campus outreach prevention programs, an outline is provided of a prevention/awareness week intervention that is designed to address sexual assault on university and college campuses.

Impacting Awareness of Child Abuse through a Spiritually Based Performing Arts Project

ABSTRACT Using indigenous religious folklore images, a folk opera explored issues of child abuse, sexual assault and violence through a psychologically fictionalized character of Mary Magdalene. Befriended by an understanding Mary, Mary Magdalene is healed of her childhood ‘wounds through a religious conversion after almost refusing to encounter Jesus. Six hundred secondary students attended three daytime performances and 486 returned a Likert‐scaled questionnaire. The results indicated that most students perceived abuse as a personally relevant social problem, with this felt relevance increasing with age. Significant trends supported initial expectations that the play may help increase community and personal awareness of child abuse and sexual assault and that the play may also help increase a personal and community interest and effort toward helping others. Perplexing differences in school responses suggest that the schools in which prior discussion occurred may have led to students gaining more social insight and benefit from the play, although some of these same schools also tended to reject the personal relevance of the play. The latter may indicate community risk factors contributing to denial. More Hispanics responded positively to the sense of benefit, which may reflect the fact that there is a Hispanic Catholic majority in the community that sponsored the play itself. Overall, the findings suggest that performing arts can help increase awareness of child abuse as well as personal and community interest in helping and that this benefit increases with teacher discussion and age. In spite of procedural deprivations, the authors felt it was a relatively rare and useful effort to collect some data, hopefully to inspire more social scientists with more resources to consider collaborating with socially and spiritually meaningful fine arts productions in order to document scientifically the impact of the arts on human attitudes and behaviour. The reader's tolerance for the obvious limitations of investigation are requested and appreciated. A discussion of psychospiritual models of creativity and healing concludes the paper.