Search

Sexual and racial/ethnic minority women may experience a number of unique barriers to disclosing experiences of campus sexual violence. To better understand these barriers, 5,911 online campus clim...

To examine the link between fraternity membership and sexual assault perpetration, we used an experimental design to assess the role of perceptions in an ambiguous sexual assault scenario. Undergraduates ( N = 408) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group where the perpetrator is a fraternity member or a control group where no fraternity information is given. Males rated perpetrators as less guilty and victims as more culpable when the perpetrator was a fraternity member, suggesting that sexual violence may be reinforced among fraternity members as they are both more likely to perpetrate sexual assault and less likely to be blamed.

Sexual minority women are more likely to experience campus sexual assault than their heterosexual peers, and previous research suggests that bisexual women are especially at risk. The purpose of th...

Digital media have become a significant context for adolescent dating relationships. As the use of social media and mobile phones increases, so do concerns that these media might be a context for “digital dating abuse” (DDA), or the use of digital media to harass, pressure, threaten, coerce, or monitor a dating partner. Although DDA has been shown to be common in adolescent dating relationships, little is known about the predictors of DDA perpetration or the role of stereotypical gender and dating beliefs in shaping these behaviors. This survey study of 703 high school students with dating experience investigated the role of gender beliefs in DDA perpetration using structural equation modeling. The survey included items pertaining to participants’ digital media use, stereotypical gender and dating beliefs, and three types of DDA perpetration. Girls reported more frequent perpetration of some types of DDA, and boys expressed greater endorsement of stereotypical gender and dating beliefs. The data supported our hypothesized models, such that endorsement of stereotypical beliefs was associated with different types of DDA perpetration for girls and boys. Higher endorsement of stereotypical beliefs was related to perpetration of digital monitoring and control behaviors for girls, and to directly aggressive and hostile digital behaviors for boys. These patterns align with stereotypical gender roles. Associations with sexually coercive digital behaviors for both girls and boys are discussed. This study suggests that beyond the gender of the perpetrator, societal beliefs about gender and dating may shape the problematic use of digital media in dating relationships.

The lack of research on graduate students’ experiences with campus sexual violence and the campus climate is a glaring gap in the literature (Bonistall Postel, 2020). Thus, the current exploratory study examines the experience of graduate students at one university to determine their victimization rates and the number of disclosures they receive from peers. In addition, we compare graduate and undergraduate students’ awareness of resources on campus and their confidence in knowing where to seek assistance for their peers or themselves. Finally, we compare key influential factors related to the campus climate such as sense of community and perceptions of the university’s responsiveness to incidents of sexual violence among graduate and undergraduate students. An online survey was administered to a sample of 9,546 students, with 79.9% undergraduates and 20.1% graduates. A total of 5.2% of graduate students reported experiences of sexual violence since attending the university, with 13% receiving disclosures from peers. MANCOVA revealed that compared with undergraduate students, graduate students had significantly less awareness of campus resources, less confidence in knowing where to seek assistance, and less of a sense of community. There were no differences in perceptions of the university’s handling of sexual violence. The findings highlight the importance of including and targeting graduate students in sexual violence awareness and prevention programming on college campuses.

This study explored the relation between interest and membership in a fraternity and acceptance of sexual violence (eg, rape myth acceptance, proclivity to perpetrate sexual aggression) among first year college men.A total of 315 men were surveyed before their first year of college (June-August 2010) and again at 4 time points over the next year.Participants responded to measures of rape myth acceptance and proclivity to perpetrate sexual aggression.Interested members scored higher on proclivity to perpetrate sexual aggression and some rape myths than noninterested nonmembers; interested nonmembers scored in between the 2 groups.Results highlight the importance of considering both fraternity membership and interest in joining a fraternity, as well as examining individual rape myths, in studies of fraternity membership and sexual violence.

Objectification theorists argue that repeated exposure to sexually objectifying media content leads to higher levels of self-objectification. Although consequences of self-objectification for women...

Both traditional gender roles and traditional heterosexual scripts outline sexual roles for women that center on sexual passivity, prioritizing others’ needs, and self-silencing. Acceptance of these roles is associated with diminished sexual agency. Because mainstream media are a prominent source of traditional gender portrayals, we hypothesized that media use would be associated with diminished sexual agency for women, as a consequence of the traditional sexual roles conveyed. We modeled the relations among television (TV) use, acceptance of gendered sexual scripts, and sexual agency (sexual assertiveness, condom use self-efficacy, and sexual shame) in 415 sexually active undergraduate women. As expected, both TV exposure and perceived realism of TV content were associated with greater endorsement of gendered sexual scripts, which in turn were associated with lower sexual agency. Endorsement of gendered sexual scripts fully mediated the relation between TV use and sexual agency. Results suggest that endorsement of traditional gender roles and sexual scripts may be an important predictor of college women’s sexual agency. Interventions targeting women’s sexual health should focus on encouraging media literacy and dismantling gender stereotypic heterosexual scripts. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index .

Although research indicates significant associations between exposure to certain types of media and men’s participation in high-risk behaviors, less is known about the potential mediating role of masculinity ideology, which is also linked to risk behaviors. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between multiple forms of media, masculinity ideology, and participation in high-risk behaviors among a sample of 449 undergraduate men from a U.S. Midwestern university. Survey results indicated that overall television use, sports television, and movie viewing were significantly associated with stronger endorsement of masculinity ideology. Masculinity ideology, in turn, was associated with sexual risk-taking, alcohol use, drug use, and speeding while driving. Furthermore, masculinity ideology was found to mediate the relation between these media formats and risk outcomes. These findings highlight several ways in which various media formats and traditional masculine norms promote behaviors that put men at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse problems, and physical injury.

OBJECTIVE This study explored differences in attitudes about sexual violence, knowledge of intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention resources, and participation in IPV prevention activities among young men based on their fraternity membership and house status (ie, official house versus unofficial house versus no house). Participants: 1,457 undergraduate men completed surveys in the 2017-2018 academic year. Fraternity members indicated whether their fraternity had an official, unofficial, or no house. Methods: The survey included measures of attitudes towards sexual violence, knowledge of IPV resources, and participation in IPV prevention activities. Results: Fraternity members with unofficial houses were more accepting of sexual violence than nonmembers, whereas fraternity members with official houses were exposed to more IPV prevention messages than nonmembers. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of considering fraternity house status as a risk factor for sexual violence. Unofficial houses that are not regulated by the university may be particularly problematic for IPV.

Understanding the research on predictors of campus sexual violence perpetration is critical for primary prevention efforts directed at preventing perpetrators from offending. This study systematically reviewed 28 research articles to understand common predictors of campus sexual violence perpetration as well as the research and study design of these articles. Personality factors, attitudes, and negative life experiences were the most investigated predictors of campus perpetration, while other factors, such as sexual behavior and past perpetration, received less empirical attention. Most of the studies in this review used cross-sectional, observational data with participants at large, public universities. The samples were largely White, undergraduate students. These findings indicate that more research is needed to understand predictors of campus sexual violence perpetration with increased attention to understudied risk factors. Future research should be conducted at more diverse institutions with more diverse samples.

The heterosexual script describes the set of complementary but unequal roles for women and men to follow in their romantic and sexual interactions. The heterosexual script is comprised of the sexual double standard (men want sex and women set sexual limits), courtship strategies (men attract women with power and women attract men through beauty and sexiness), and commitment strategies (men avoid commitment and women prioritize relationships). Despite evidence that women and men are aware of this script, and it is prominent in the media, there is no existing measure of endorsement of the heterosexual script. In Studies 1 and 2, we develop and validate a measure of endorsement of the heterosexual script. In Study 3, we demonstrate that television consumption predicts stronger endorsement of the heterosexual script. We discuss the implications of endorsement of the heterosexual script for sexual health and provide suggestions for future research using this scale.

Although everyday exposure to media content that sexually objectifies women is believed to lead women to sexualize themselves, research testing this connection has produced mixed results. Most studies have focused only on the self-objectification component of self-sexualization, and on limited assessments of media exposure. Our goal was to extend tests of this component of objectification theory both to understudied media genres and to men, and to do so using broader measures of self-sexualization. Surveying 1,107 U.S. undergraduate students (658 women and 449 men), we used structural equation modeling to test the contributions of exposure to popular reality programs, romantic-themed movies, and music videos to self-sexualization (a latent construct comprised of body surveillance, enjoyment of sexualization, and importance of sexual appeal). Frequent consumption of reality TV programs consistently predicted self-sexualization for women and men, and music video exposure predicted self-sexualization only for men. Findings confirm pathways proposed by objectification theory and indicate unique contributions of understudied media.

Although Facebook was created to help people feel connected with each other, data indicate that regular usage has both negative and positive connections to well-being. To explore these mixed results, we tested the role of social comparison and self-objectification as possible mediators of the link between Facebook use and three facets of psychological well-being: self-esteem, mental health, and body shame. Participants were 1,104 undergraduate women and men who completed surveys assessing their Facebook usage (minutes, passive use, and active use), social comparison, self-objectification, and well-being. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, testing separate models for women and men. Models for each gender fit the data well. For women and men, Facebook use was associated with greater social comparison and greater self-objectification, which, in turn, was each related to lower self-esteem, poorer mental health, and greater body shame. Mediated models provided better fits to the data than models testing direct pathways to the mediators and well-being variables. Implications are discussed for young people's social media use, and future directions are provided.