Sexual assault is a deeply rooted issue on American college campuses. The purpose of this study was to examine the systems that enable a culture of sexual assault and then enact an action step that strengthened the institutional strategies for preventing these incidents on campus. This qualitative action research study took place at a mid-sized…

Sexual violence on college and university campuses is a significant public health concern for educators in the context of postsecondary institutions across the United States. One of the populations on college campuses most at-risk of being victimized by sexual assault is women within a sorority (Mohler-Kuo et al., 2004). Partly in response to…

Landmark research from before the 2010s shows that college women rarely held institutions responsible for allowing rape-prone party contexts to persist and failing to support survivors. Yet the college landscape has changed profoundly since these studies were published, with prominent anti-rape campaigns and new guidelines to Title IX policy. To…

In 2013, the U.S. Department of Education published revised guidelines for emergency response planning for colleges and universities in the United States. These guidelines reflect the collective work of numerous government intelligence, law enforcement, and preparedness agencies that have taken into account the past successes and failures of…

Campus sexual misconduct has been a growing concern in recent years. The researchers of this qualitative study analyzed the perceived adequacy of current sexual misconduct training and delivery practices from Title IX coordinators representing 11 higher education institutions across the United States. Results point to the importance of…

Over the last decade, sexual violence in higher education has been a focus for colleges and universities, student activists, parents and families, and the media alike. As institutions responded to these complaints and students demanded action and accountability, it became clear there were too few resources available to address this issue.…

In 2007, the landscape of campus safety changed abruptly with the Virginia Tech shooting and the subsequent wave of anonymous threats in colleges across the country. In response to the tragedy, the Virginia state legislature mandated that every public institution of higher education establish a "threat assessment team." Both the FBI and the U.S.…

Everyone at some point has asked the question "Why do bad things happen to good people? Even while asking it, most know that finding an answer to this question is not likely in their future. People's best responsible action, then, is to manage their risks to prevent future bad things from occurring, to the greatest extent possible. Risk…

On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho traded in his title as "student" for one of "gunman." That day, Cho, a student at Virginia Tech, was responsible for the deadliest shooting spree by a single person in U.S. history, killing 33 people, including himself. Ten months later on Valentine's Day, Steven Kazmierczak joined Cho in the…

Discusses how the killing of three professors by a suicidal student horrified the University of Arizona and prompted colleges around the country to consider ways of heading off such rare violence. (EV)

Examines the life of Rae Carruth, honored as an Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar, but later charged with first-degree murder, as an example of the higher propensity for violence by athletes. Notes development of intervention programs to teach athletes nonviolent ways to solve problems, but also notes a lack of commitment by coaches and teams to solving…

Crime is increasingly characterizing the contemporary college experience. In a post-Columbine, post-Sept. 11 world, the "It can't happen here" response to such violence has been replaced with "Oh Lord, not again." In response to the loss of their daughter, and the lack of institutional support they received, Howard, and Connie Clery filed suit…

Examines violence on college campuses by reviewing its types, prevalence, and underlying factors. Discusses institutional responses to prevent campus violence through tertiary, secondary, and primary prevention activites. (Author/ABB)

This report on safety in Minnesota's secondary and postsecondary schools assesses and evaluates the impact of existing laws and programs on school safety and anti-violence and recommends changes in law or policy to increase safety and curb violence. The report is based on a 1995-97 survey of postsecondary students, interviews with campus security…

While a university experience offers young women many rewards, unfortunately, there are also significant dangers, and one of these dangers is men who are sexual predators. Acquaintance rape is a sexual assault perpetrated by someone who is known to the victim. It is a violent and serious crime that is far too common an occurrence at our…