A Personalized Programming Approach Towards Sexual Violence Risk Reduction Zimple D. Kurlawala Mentors/Co-authors: Dr. Stephen Nagy Dr. Christine Nagy Elizabeth Mohon

Introduction Sexual assault is the most underreported violent crime in the United States (National Institute of Justice, 2005). Data from 2005 (U.S.) 1 in 6 women (17.6%) 1 in 33 men (3%) have been victimized (RAINN, 2005). College age women are about 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted (RAINN, 2005).

Purpose To compare victims and non-victims of sexual assault on traits that may identify targets for intervention.

Methods Information Technology provided us with a random, stratified (full vs part time) sample of 8,000 student emails. (Responding sample = 1,548) The survey was distributed by Student Voice and available for a 3 week period. Students were contacted through email to take part in the online survey and were sent weekly reminders. Students who completed the survey were eligible to be included in a drawing for 1 of 10 prizes, Apple iphone, Nintendo Wii, $100 gift cards for academic use (8).

Data Analysis Chi Square tests.

VICTIMS = 5% of all WKU students Results VICTIMS = 5% of all WKU students Females Males 6.7% 1.3%

Results Demographic Trait Valid Percent p Value Risk Factors Female 6.7% <0.05 White 5% Single 5.2% >0.05 Living off-campus 5.6% Protective Factors Practice Religion more than 1-2 times/week 5.4% =0.02

Results Risk of female respondents who practice religion more than 1-2 times/week Risk of female respondents who practice religion less than 1-2 times/week 5.4% 9.4%

received unwanted attention Results Among Non Victims, those that have been stalked or received unwanted attention Females Males 17.6% 10.6%

Results Only 6% of WKU students feel that sexual violence is a concern among college students on campus.

Recommendations University should… 61 67 57 66 50 58 51 54 33 All % Victims% 61 Advertise campus resources for intimate partner violence 67 57 Guest speaker on violence in relationships 66 50 Skill building sessions for women & men together 58 39 Develop a strategic plan to address violence in relationships 51 54 Skill building sessions for women only 49 Conduct peer presentations 42 Hand out brochures on violence in relationships 40 Skill building sessions for men only 33

Conclusions The following characteristics place individuals at greater risk for sexual assault: Living off campus Caucasian Single Protective factors were rare. Regular religious practice was protective.

Conclusions Victims and non-victims recommend the following approaches: Advertise campus resources for sexual assault. Guest speakers to talk on the topic. Skill building sessions for both men and women together. Victims also recommended developing a strategic plan to address violence in relationships.

Implications Sexual assault protection of students must involve on and off campus prevention strategies. In our sample, Caucasian women were at greater risk. Ethnic specific prevention messages seem warranted. Single women are primary targets for prevention messages. Religious practice identifies attributes of women that may assist in developing more effective programs.

Implications Awareness about sexual assault prevention should be increased in the form of advertisements on campus. Annual skill building sessions should be mandatory for all students, especially in the Freshmen year. Guest speakers should be invited to talk on the topic.

Implications A strategic plan to prevent sexual assault should be in place on every campus. (WKU already has one, refer to the forthcoming slides).

Limitations This was a self-report sample. It must be understood that many abused victims will not volunteer. It is likely that rates are actually higher. Some identifiers may actually represent safer environments rather than personality traits. Our sample was biased toward Caucasians and may be misrepresentative of other ethnic groups.

Recent Federal Laws on Campus Crime Student Right­to­Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 (the “Clery Act”*) (20 U.S.C. § 1092). -This law, Title II of Public law 101-542, requires that schools annually disclose information about crime, including specific sexual crime categories, in and around campus. Campus Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights of 1992. - This amendment to the 1990 act requires that schools develop prevention policies and provide certain assurances to victims. The law was amended again in 1998 to expand requirements, including the crime categories that must be reported. *The act was renamed in 1998 the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act’ in honor of a student who was sexually assaulted and murdered on her campus in 1986. (U.S. Dept. of Justice)

Sexual Offense Policy at WKU Medical Assistance to Sexual Assault Victims & Legal or Judicial Reporting Options Appeal of Formal Complaint Resolution / Disciplinary Action Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Assaults Crisis Response Formal Complaints of Sexual Harassment Procedure Grievance Procedures & Judicial Process Law Enforcement & Reporting Requirements Procedures for Investigation and Resolution of Sexual Harassment Complaints Reporting Suspected Sexual Harassment Responsibilities of Ombudsmen Student Grievance Procedure University and Community Resources Western Kentucky University Policy Against Sexual Harassment Western Kentucky University’s Sexual Offense Policy Statement

What is being done at WKU? M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan / New Student Orientation UC 101 Classes – University Experience Health Services Programs University Police Safety Programs Fraternity/Sorority Education Programs Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Classes Student Escort Services (745-3333) Housing and Residence Life Programs State Sexual Assault Awareness Month Activities Counseling and Testing Center Outreach/Educational Programs Risk Reduction Green Dot

References (2005). Retrieved from Rape, Abuse, Incest & National Network (RAINN): http://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims Karjane, H. M., Fischer, B. S., & Cullen, F. T. (2005). Sexual Assault on Campus:What Colleges And Universities Are Doing About It. National Institute of Justice. U.S. Department of Justice. www.wku.edu

Thank you!