Campus interpersonal violence in the Lone Star State: Available resources for students experiencing relationship violence, sexual assault, and stalking

Date

5/30/2016

Authors

Chavez, Irais Anderton

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Abstract

At colleges and universities, students are at particular risk of experiencing interpersonal violence. College students have experienced relationship violence, unwanted sexual contact, and stalking, which have impacted them physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Federal initiatives have called for the implementation of policies and resources to address and decrease interpersonal violence on campuses across the nation. The author of the current study sought to investigate the variety of resources and policies available to students in colleges and universities in Texas. The author further sought to examine the impact of institution size and location on the availability of resources for students. Student Life or Student Affairs personnel were asked to complete a questionnaire packet incorporating an Institutional Profile Questionnaire and an Institutional Interpersonal Violence Response Questionnaire. Hypotheses for the present study were tested using logistical regressions, scatter plots, and correlational analyses. Results indicated that urban colleges and universities were statistically significantly more likely than rural colleges and universities to use focus groups and lack ways to make sexual assault policies available to students, faculty, and staff. It was further found that 4-year colleges and universities were statistically significantly more likely than community colleges to have sexual assault policies that included a detailed response to reports of sexual violence; to provide sexual assault educational programs, such as PowerPoint presentations and experiential activities; and to not provide educational information on verbal abuse as a form of relationship violence. Results also demonstrated that private 4-year colleges and universities were statistically significantly more likely than public colleges and universities to utilize workshops to offer education; to provide information about informal reporting options of rape and sexual assault; and to lack information about community partnerships in policies. The present study also found that 4-year colleges and universities with more violence intervention and response resources tended to have more violence prevention programs, and those with more victimization prevention curricula tended to provide more programs preventing perpetration of relationship violence and sexual assault. Overall, colleges and universities with policies that adhered to Title IX recommendations had more educational resources available to students. Implications for policy, research, practice, and training are discussed.

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Keywords

Psychology, Health and environmental sciences, Education, College, Relationship violence, Resources, Sexual assault, Stalking, Title IX

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