Charlene Y. Senn 1, PhD; Wilfreda E. Thurston 2, PhD; H. Lorraine Radtke 2, PhD; Paula Barata 3, PhD; Ian Newby-Clark 3, PhD; Misha Eliasziw 4, PhD; Stephanie Coupal 2, BSc; Karen L. Hobden 1, PhD 1. University Windsor 2. University of Calgary 3. University of Guelph 4. Tufts University Rates of sexual assault in first year female students in Canada: Implications for public health

Sexual Assault Definition of sexual assault Higher prevalence in females perpetrated by male acquaintances Negative health consequences

Longitudinal, randomized controlled trial of a sexual assault resistance intervention (Senn et al. 2013) 898 participants: first year, female students, ages of 17 and 24. Data collection at pre-intervention time point Study Design

Results: Sexual experiences survey

Results: Perceived risk c 1 Very unlikely 2 Unlikely 3 Neither unlikely or likely 4 Likely 5 Very likely “What are your chances of being raped by someone you know?” Median = 1 “What are the chances of a woman your age being raped by someone she knows?” Median = 4

Rates of sexual assault among young women remain high Perceived risk of acquaintance rape may be an additional barrier in health promotion Implications for public health

Acknowledgements