Institutional commitment to combating sexual violence: The practices and policies of U.S. universities

J Community Psychol. 2020 Nov;48(8):2692-2701. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22446. Epub 2020 Sep 9.

Abstract

By presenting institution-level variables of 118 universities across 50 states and the District of Columbia, we provide a descriptive overview of the types of programs and sexual assault-related data. Specifically, we examine correlations between policies and practices related to sexual assault prevention and reports of rape. As expected, we found that universities with policies pertaining to affirmative consent, alcohol, and inclusive definitions of assault, combined with practices like mandatory training and transparency with campus climate survey findings, also have higher reports of sexual assault.

Keywords: bystander intervention program; campus climate surveys; rape; sexual assault prevention; sexual violence.

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol Drinking in College
  • Faculty / education
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Policy*
  • Rape / prevention & control*
  • Rape / statistics & numerical data
  • Sex Offenses / prevention & control
  • Sex Offenses / statistics & numerical data
  • Students / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States
  • Universities / organization & administration
  • Universities / statistics & numerical data*