Improving Sexual Health Education by Examining Protective Factors against Sexual Assault

This study examined the content, timing, and perceived effectiveness of college student's previous preschool-12th grade sexual health education and evaluated differences among those who had experienced sexual assault. 964 Midwestern university students completed an online survey recalling their prior sexual health education curriculum. First sexual assaults among students increased between eighth and ninth grade but occurred most frequently in college. Students who experienced sexual assault were also more likely to rate their programming as less effective than those in the non-assault category. Those who had experienced sexual assault reported lower rates of being taught about healthy relationships, good touch versus bad touch, communication during sexual encounters, and the definition of sexual assault. Additionally, receiving information about healthy relationships was associated with the nonoccurrence of sexual assault. Results suggest these four topics, especially healthy relationships, should be taught before the eighth grade to proactively establish protective factors against sexual assault which may be utilized into students' young adulthood.