This dissertation explores the newly theorized concept of "sexualized aggression" in U.S. college women's social drinking spaces (e.g., parties, bars, clubs). I developed the concept of sexualized aggression to refer to understudied and overlooked forms of sexual assault and aggression--more specifically, sexual assault that happens in…

School-based prevention and intervention programs are designed to address a variety of issues faced by youth today, both within and outside of schools. The five statements discussed in this report are based on practices rated by CrimeSolutions: (1) School-based bullying prevention programs prevent victimization and reduce perpetration; (2)…

In this systematic review, we evaluated the quality and rigor of the current evidence base for the Second Step social-emotional learning program in middle schools. Eleven studies were coded using the "Council for Exceptional Children Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education" with an 80% weighted criterion. We…

Sexual aggression is a major public health issue in higher education settings. The overall objective of this study was to examine whether Greek-affiliated students differ from unaffiliated students in how they view sexual aggression, and in what types of strategies they believe could reduce it. This information can enhance the effectiveness of…

Present data collection efforts to identify and address intimate partner violence on college campuses and universities are flawed. Traditional methods utilized to report on intimate partner violence on campus, including Campus Climate Surveys and Clery Act reporting guidelines, are insufficient in that they do not capture the full scope of…

Globally, half of students aged 13-15 experience peer-to-peer violence in and around school. This number includes students who report having been bullied in the last month or having had a physical fight within the past year. But bullying and physical fights are only two types of violence. Students routinely deal with corporal and other degrading…

Despite the presumed centrality of sexual consent to definitions of sexual violence, it remains an ambiguous and often unexamined concept both in lay and professional/scientific discourses. The following literature review of peer-reviewed research studying sexual consent as a scientific object will thematically present major findings from said…

Objective: The Circle of Six (Co6) phone application (app), winner of the White House's "Apps Against Abuse Challenge," seeks to incorporate friends into sexual victimization risk reduction. Despite its growing presence on college campuses, the feasibility/acceptability of the app to college women is unknown. This mixed methods study…

Dating violence is an epidemic that is growing exponentially among the adolescent age group. Dating violence is a pattern of coercive behaviors used by adolescents to control their partners. These coercive behaviors include physical assault, sexual assault, abuse, ascendancy, degradation, intimidation, possessiveness, blaming, and the minimization…

Background: Teen dating violence (TDV) negatively impacts health, mental and physical well-being, and school performance. Methods: Data from a nationally representative sample of high school students participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) are used to demonstrate associations…

Gang affiliation is not something that students leave behind when they come to school. Gang members do not leave their behaviors, attitudes, and conflicts outside the school environment. Gangs, unchecked and unidentified in a school setting, often engage in threat and intimidation; physical and cyber bullying; fighting; recruiting; and criminal…

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of aggressive and violent behaviors in the context of the school environment in a nationally representative sample of adolescent youth and to illustrate these patterns during 2001-2011. Methods: We analyzed data from 84,734 participants via the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance…

This paper disseminates some results of an international research on the social risk manifestations published in eight periodicals in Rio de Janeiro from July 2013 to December 2014. A sample of the research coincides with the population: 541 news, which constitutes 1255 analytical units. The methodology consisted of a content analysis of the news,…

Objective: The relationship between condom use and 2 less visible categories of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual coercion and verbal aggression, was examined among college students. Methods: In March 2007 a random cross-sectional sample of undergraduates from the southeast region of the United States was taken to collect information about…

Every fall, college and university campuses and communities brace for the onslaught of new and returning students. For first-year students, anecdotal evidence suggests that the first six weeks of enrollment are critical to success. Because many students initiate heavy drinking during these early days of college, the potential exists for excessive…