Background: Alcohol-related sexual assault is a pressing health concern on U.S. college campuses. The unrelenting prevalence of campus sexual assault has led to a greater focus on how to empower college women to resist unwanted sexual advances within alcohol-infused contexts. Alcohol-aggression expectancies have emerged as one potential barrier to…

Heteronormativity posits the superiority of heterosexuality and heterosexually-based norms over all other forms of sexual or gender expression, and heteronormative beliefs have been shown to affect how individuals view sexuality and gender. The concept of gender transition inherently goes against the ideals of heteronormativity. The current study…

Heavy and problematic drinking and sexual assault warrant significant concern on U.S. college campuses. Emerging evidence suggests that the risk for sexual victimization is amplified in the context of high-risk drinking behavior--and despite recent attention to sexual assault (e.g., MeToo Movement), rates of perpetration remain largely unchanged.…

This phenomenologically grounded qualitative study examined the lived experience of a student sexual violence advocate. Student advocates are utilized to operate crisis lines on college campuses for survivors of sexual assault, domestic abuse or other forms of sexual violence. This dissertation argues the lived experience of student sexual…

The beginning of college campus life is one of the most exciting phases of student life. However, for some students, it might pose a threat in the form of sexual violence. In the United States, sexual violence is highly pervasive, placing college students at a greater risk of victimization. Currently, there is a lack of data on sexual crimes…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine college cis-women's experiences with gender microaggressions and perceptions of campus climate, institutional betrayal, and institutional courage, how those experiences and perceptions are related, and how each predicts college students' likelihood of reporting sexual assault to the University.…

Harassment and Sexual Assault are both offenses and crimes that can be classified as domestic violence as well. The responses within a university to allegations of domestic violence are different from investigations by sworn law enforcement. There is an obligation to investigate and charge by law enforcement when certain incidents of domestic…

Gender based violence is experienced at higher rates on college campuses than in other communities. One in five women experience acquaintance rape during their academic career and less than 5% of college women who have experienced sexual assault report their victimization (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000). Recent federal guidance is meant to…

The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses is well documented with findings revealing both men and women experience victimization. Sexual assault often results in physical and mental issues, poor academic performance, and financial burdens for victims, families, and society. Traditional prevention efforts to reduce sexual violence…

One in five women are sexually assaulted while in college (Cantor et al., 2015; Ali, 2011). Research has demonstrated that higher education is a patriarchal environment that is oppressive to women in a number of spheres (Acker, 1990; Burnett et al., 2009; Catalano, 2014; Miriam, 2007; Walby, 1989). Past research on sexual assault and patriarchy…

In 2011 the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights released additional guidance to colleges and universities on how they should handle campus sexual harassment and assault. Since that time institutions of higher education have been under significant pressure to improve their processes. This qualitative study adds to this…

Campus sexual assault is a significant problem in the United States, affecting a large proportion of college students, most of whom are women. Recognizing the widespread nature of campus sexual assault and its negative impacts on students' education, the Dept. of Education under the Obama Administration took action. In a 2011 directive known as…

One of 5 women are sexually assaulted during college, resulting not only in immediate suffering, but also negative consequences that affect their career trajectory and success over a lifetime (Krebs et al., 2016; Loya, 2015). Although previous research has focused on the individual predictors of violence, more recent research has hypothesized the…

On April 4, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) reminding higher education institutions (HEIs) of their obligations under Title IX to respond to complaints of sexual misconduct. The 2011 DCL was meant to be a guidance document to assist HEIs in complying with Title IX, but…

Sexual assault has been an issue facing institutions of higher education for many years (Office of Civil Rights, 2011). Alcohol plays a role in both who have been victims of sexual assault and who have perpetrated the crime of sexual assault (Crawford, Wright, & Birchmeier, 2008). The purpose of this study was to look at sexual misconduct at…