ERIC Number: EJ1457641
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jan
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4391
EISSN: EISSN-1746-1561
School District Leader Perspectives on Surveying Middle School Youth about Sexual Violence
Avanti Adhia; Ruby Lucas; Ann E. Richey; Megan Rogers; Nikki Van Wagner; Laurie Dils; Frederick P. Rivara; Betty Bekemeier
Journal of School Health, v95 n1 p34-44 2025
Background: Schools are important contexts for preventing sexual violence (SV) among adolescents. Evaluating whether programming is effective requires surveying youth about SV experiences. However, school communities often have concerns about asking students, particularly those in middle school, about these experiences. This study sought to understand the types of concerns that school district leaders have related to surveying middle school students about SV and to identify ways to mitigate these concerns. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with superintendents and school board members (n = 19) across Washington State and used inductive thematic analysis. Results: Concerns regarding surveying students about SV centered around 3 main themes: community norms and misconceptions, parental/caregiver discomfort, and survey language and administration. Concerns were particularly salient for sixth-grade students. Suggestions for mitigating concerns included: providing clear motivation and reframing messaging to community members, involving parents and students in the survey process, and modifying survey language and administration. Conclusions: Researchers administering surveys to middle school students on sensitive topics including SV may face pushback and must consider flexible approaches to allow research and evaluation to be conducted.
Descriptors: School Districts, Rape, Student Attitudes, Student Surveys, Middle School Students, Superintendents, Administrator Attitudes, Boards of Education, Misconceptions, Language Usage, Parent Attitudes, Grade 6, Parent Participation, Student Participation
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 6; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (DHHS/PHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Washington
Grant or Contract Numbers: U01CE003210