ERIC Number: EJ1167120
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0897-5264
EISSN: N/A
Undergraduate Exposure to Messages about Campus Sexual Assault: Awareness of Campus Resources
McMahon, Sarah; Stepleton, Kate
Journal of College Student Development, v59 n1 p110-115 Jan-Feb 2018
Extant literature has not addressed whether multiple exposures to information and messages about sexual violence affect students' awareness of resources or impact students' efficacy in seeking assistance for themselves or a peer who experiences sexual violence. To help address this gap in research and inform colleges and universities in the efforts to address sexual violence, the authors examined the following research questions: (a) What is the level of sexual victimization in this sample, both self-reported and reported by peers? (b) Does the level of exposure to information and education about sexual violence affect students' awareness of resources? Does it impact their confidence in knowing how to seek assistance if the student or a peer were sexually victimized? Data were drawn from an online campus climate survey based on the White House Task Force Tool regarding sexual violence conducted at a large, public university in the Northeast United States in 2014. While many of the students in this study encountered campus sexual violence, either through their own experiences or through receiving disclosures from peers, analyses indicate that overall students in this sample had limited awareness of campus resources and only moderate confidence in knowing where to go for assistance should a sexual assault occur, which is consistent with previous research (e.g., Sabina & Ho, 2014). Although exploratory, this study has implications for practitioners on college campuses to consider. More research is needed to understand the nature of exposures better, including what type of information is shared, by whom, and in what context, as well as the impact of cumulative exposure. This study lays a foundation for researchers to further investigate the role of exposure to information and suggests that exposing students to information about sexual violence multiple times is an important strategy for college campuses to consider.
Descriptors: Sexual Abuse, Violence, Victims of Crime, Self Disclosure (Individuals), Disclosure, Access to Information, Knowledge Level, Self Esteem, Help Seeking, Online Surveys, Student Surveys, College Students, Student Experience, Training, Student Characteristics, Regression (Statistics)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A