Sexual assault prevention among college men: A social dominance theory analysis

Despite the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses, few interventions aimed at decreasing college men’s proclivity to perpetrate sexual aggression have been developed and tested. This article details the theoretical framework, content, and piloting of a sexual assault prevention program for college men who engage in heavy drinking, a high-risk group who may be particularly well positioned to intervene as proactive bystanders in drinking environments. In an open trial, male facilitators delivered the three-session Sexual Assault and Alcohol Feedback and Education (SAFE) program to 25 heavy drinking college men. Session 1 was a 90-min review of personalized normative feedback regarding alcohol use, sexual activity, alcohol-related sexual consequences, understanding of consent, and engagement in bystander intervention, delivered individually in a motivational interviewing style. Session 2 was a 2½-hr group-based sexual assault prevention workshop focusing on social norms, empathy, masculinity, consent, and bystander intervention. Session 3 was a 90-min booster group session that reviewed previous topics and included the active practice of bystander intervention skills. Analyses of postsession assessments of utility, therapeutic alliance, and satisfaction and examination of alcohol use and sexual assault–related outcomes from baseline to the 2-month assessment support the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the SAFE program.

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Sexual Assault Prevention Programs for College Men: An Exploratory Evaluation of the Men Against Violence Model

Journal of College Counseling ◽

10.1002/j.2161-1882.2003.tb00237.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 166-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Laura Hensley Choate

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

College Men ◽

Prevention Programs ◽

Sexual Assault Prevention ◽

Assault Prevention

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The Men’s Project: A sexual assault prevention program targeting college men.

Psychology of Men & Masculinity ◽

10.1037/a0033947 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 481-485 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Andrew L. Stewart

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Prevention Program ◽

College Men ◽

Sexual Assault Prevention ◽

Assault Prevention

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A Qualitative Analysis of Bystander Intervention Among Heavy-Drinking College Men

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801218781931 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (10) ◽

pp. 1207-1231 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniel W. Oesterle ◽

Lindsay M. Orchowski ◽

Oswaldo Moreno ◽

Alan Berkowitz

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

College Men ◽

Bystander Intervention ◽

Future Research ◽

Sexual Assault Prevention ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

Assault Prevention ◽

Preliminary Support

This study qualitatively examines how heavy-drinking college men conceptualize bystander intervention. Twelve semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with college men reporting past-month heavy drinking and sexual activity within the past 2 months. NVivo software was used to conduct a thematic analysis. Following the stage model of bystander intervention, men in this sample described situations—predominantly in drinking contexts—when other men made sexual advances toward women who were not interested or who were intoxicated as opportunities for intervention. Men reported relying on women’s expression of verbal and nonverbal cues as a sign that a situation was problematic, and warranting intervention. Men reported a desire to protect women from experiencing a sexual assault, or to protect a peer from being accused of rape. Men perceived themselves to be more likely to assume responsibility for intervening when the situation involved someone they knew, especially a female friend. A variety of intervention strategies were also reported. Preliminary support was offered for considering alcohol myopia as a barrier to intervention. The interviews also provided preliminary support for further investigation into the role of alcohol expectancies regarding “liquid courage” and “aggression” as factors that can influence bystander intervention when intoxicated. Implications for future research and the development of tailored sexual assault prevention efforts for heavy-drinking men are discussed.

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Boomerang Effects of Sexual-Violence Prevention Messages on College Men's Attitudes

Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal ◽

10.18061/bhac.v2i2.6583 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 45 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Caitlin Spikes ◽

Miglena Sternadori

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Violence Prevention ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

College Men ◽

Low Risk ◽

Sexual Assault Prevention ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Sexual Violence Prevention ◽

Boomerang Effect ◽

Assault Prevention

Background: Sexual assault is a serious public health problem in the U.S. Although colleges and universities receiving federal funding are required to provide sexual violence prevention and awareness programs, initiatives aimed specifically at college men remain relatively uncommon. Furthermore, assessments of the effectiveness of such programs suggest that most do not contribute to the prevention of sexual violence on college campuses.Aim: This study investigates the prevalence and malleability of attitudes that underlie sexually violent behaviors perpetrated by self-identified heterosexual, cisgender male college students against college women.Methods: Seventy-one self-identified heterosexual, cisgender, full-time undergraduate male students, all at low risk for committing sexual assault, participated in a pretest-posttest online experiment. They were randomly assigned to one control condition and two experimental sexual-assault-prevention interventions featuring a female or a male speaker.Results: The experimental conditions did not have the intended effects of eliciting attitudes that would further the prevention of sexual violence on college campuses. The experimental conditions were, in fact, less effective on some measures than the control condition.Conclusions: The findings suggest a boomerang effect, which refers to a persuasive outcome opposite to the desired one. Previous research has pointed to boomerang effects of sexual-assault prevention programs among high-risk men. The results of this study suggest a boomerang effect is also evident among college men at low risk for committing sexual assault.

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