Funded Projects

(SDAS) Sexual Assault Among College Students: New Insights for Prevention

Grantee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
Principal Investigator: Carolyn Porta
Project Number: R40MC29445
Project Date: 04/01/2016

Final Report

(SDAS) Sexual Assault Among College Students: New Insights for Prevention Final Report (PDF)

Age group(s)

• Women/Maternal
• Adolescence (12-18 years)
• Young Adulthood (19-25 years)

Abstract

According to the 2014 Institute of Medicine Report, Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults, sexual violence is one of the most significant public health problems facing this population today. The Association of American Universities (AAU) 2015 report on the campus climate survey of sexual assault and sexual misconduct substantiated serious sexual violence problems experienced by college students across the United States. The effects of victimization include numerous adverse health and social outcomes, such as somatic complaints, substance use, unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; damage to mental and emotional health is particularly common and severe. Many types of primary prevention programs aiming to reduce the incidence of sexual violence have been put in place, but evaluations have shown them to be only modestly successful. The long term goal of this project is to uncover characteristics of college student victims and perpetrators, including adverse childhood experiences, and the circumstances surrounding sexual violence in order to move the field forward with new approaches to reducing the incidence of sexual violence and its emotional health consequences. In order to achieve this goal, we will use the 2015 College Student Health Survey dataset (N=12,200 student respondents) to achieve the following primary objectives: 1) conduct secondary data analyses that examine individual, incident, and college characteristics associated with sexual assault among college students; and, 2) to disseminate research findings in 3-5 peer reviewed manuscripts, 1-2 presentations at scientific meetings, and presentations of key findings to sexual violence prevention and college health audiences. Research questions include: RQ1: Who are the victims of sexual assault? How do victim characteristics differ for sexual assault incidents that do and do not involve alcohol or marijuana? RQ2: Among victims of sexual assault, who uses college resources and how is utilization associated with emotional well-being? RQ3: What adverse childhood experiences are associated with and predictive of sexual violence perpetration? Study results are expected to provide new insights regarding victims and perpetrators of sexual violence to college administrators and health service personnel in order to inform development or adoption of new policies, programs, and targeted approaches to prevent sexual violence among college students.

Publications

Listed is descending order by year published.

Eisenberg ME, Lust K, Mathiason MA, Porta CM. Sexual Assault, Sexual Orientation, and Reporting Among College Students. J Interpers Violence. 2017 Aug 1:886260517726414.

Porta CM, Mathiason MA, Lust K, Eisenberg ME. Sexual Violence Among College Students: An Examination of Individual and Institutional Level Factors Associated With Perpetration. J Forensic Nurs. 2017 Jul/Sep;13(3):109-117.