scholarly journals Pledged into Harm: Sorority and Fraternity Members Face Increased Risk of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa L. Barnes ◽  
◽  
Alexis Adams-Clark ◽  
Marina N. Rosenthal ◽  
Carly P. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Sexual Contact ◽  
Greek Life ◽  
Unique Variance ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Unwanted Sexual Attention ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the risk of sexual exploitation (both assault and harassment) associated with sorority and fraternity membership on U.S. college campuses. The results from this study come from data collected through an online survey. Participants (N=883) at a large Pacific Northwestern university provided information related to their sorority or fraternity membership, experiences of sexual violence (i.e., assault and harassment), and alcohol use. We both replicated and extended past research. Corroborating prior research, Greek-affiliated students experienced higher rates of sexual assault than non-affiliated students. We extended past research by focusing on sexual harassment experiences within the Greek life culture. Both male and female Greek-affiliated students reported higher rates of sexual harassment particularly unwanted sexual attention, compared to their non-Greek-affiliated peers. We also found that both sorority membership and alcohol-related problems predicted unique variance in women’s exposure to nonconsensual sexual contact, attempted/completed rape, and unwanted sexual attention. Fraternity membership but not alcohol-related problems predicted unique variance in men’s exposure to nonconsensual sexual contact and unwanted sexual attention. Implications discussed include the short- and long-term consequences of Greek-affiliation, institutional betrayal, and addressing sexual exploitation within this culture. Also identified are limitations of the current study and future directions for research on sexual exploitation within Greek life.

scholarly journals Law's Presence, Law's Absence: Reporting Stories of Employment Discrimination in the Academy

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 512-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Sterett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Dear Colleague ◽  
Time Line ◽  
Unwanted Sexual Attention ◽  
University Leaders

Discussing employment problems in universities enacts an information asymmetry that has recently highlighted sexual harassment as a legal wrong while dampening other potential descriptions of reasons for disparities. Defining sexual harassment as unwanted sexual attention both understates and overstates problems at work, not least because it is not an issue for all women. This focus contrasts with books that popularized other kinds of barriers at work for women just a few years earlier. The stories about sexual harassment contrast with systematic evidence concerning reasons for disadvantage at work, which is less easy to tell as a story with characters, events, and a time line. In this instance, law, along with university leaders’ willingness to publicly act on claims, has proven productive of complaints that women have been reluctant to make since the Office of Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague Letter” in 2011 addressing sexual assault in higher education. This article draws on theChronicle of Higher Education’s reports of discrimination. It concludes by arguing for proliferating stories, motivated by lessons from systematic research, even if law is not a remedy.

Correlates to Increased Risk of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Among LGBT+ University Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Donna Scott Tilley ◽  
Ann Kolodetsky ◽  
Damon Cottrell ◽  
Abigail Tilton
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
University Students ◽  
Increased Risk

Psychosocial Effects of Sexual Exploitation on Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Psychosocial Effects ◽  
The World

The happiest moment for parents in their life is to have a child whom they love, guide, protect and care for. Children are the blessing from the God and their protection is core responsibility. A child is recognized soon after their birth on sexual appearances, whether he is a boy or a girl. The term sexuality came into existence since life has evolved on earth. Although the world understands how sexual harassment poses a threat but, it is shrouded in secrecy either in the name of false piety or for intended personal revenge. Resultantly, the victim rarely files a complaint against the perpetrators of sexual exploitation. Many children face various issues throughout their way to maturity and the most prominent issue is sexual exploitation

Measurement Invariance of the Sexual Assault Script Scale (SASS): An Examination Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White College Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052098549
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Yeater ◽  
Kristen N. Vitek ◽  
Ryan S. Ross ◽  
Meredith Blackwell ◽  
Katie Witkiewitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
College Women ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Hispanic White ◽  
White College

Rates of sexual victimization have remained steady over several decades, and preventative interventions to reduce men’s sexually aggressive behavior have been largely ineffective. As such, research has endeavored to find novel approaches to identify women at increased risk for sexual victimization. Sexual assault scripts, or “cognitive models” that women adhere to that guide their beliefs about sexual assault are posited to influence their victimization risk. Prior studies on sexual assault scripts primarily have been qualitative in nature; however, recent work yielded a 27-item measure of putative risk for sexual victimization called the Sexual Assault Script Scale (SASS). The SASS has four subscales called Stereotypical Assault Scripts, Acquaintance Assault Scripts, Assault Resistance Scripts, and Date/Friend Assault Scripts, which were found in prior work to be internally consistent and associated with putative risk factors for sexual victimization. The focus of the current study was to test the measurement invariance of the SASS among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White college women who were recruited in the prior study. Four hundred sixty-nine ( N = 469) Hispanic and 415 non-Hispanic White US undergraduate heterosexual or bisexual women from a Southwestern university in the United States completed the SASS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) replicated the prior four-factor model with an acceptable fit to the data, and tests of measurement invariance revealed the SASS to be invariant across Hispanic and non-Hispanic White college women, suggesting that the SASS is measuring a similar construct in these groups.

scholarly journals Associations of Relationship Experiences, Dating Violence, Sexual Harassment, and Assault With Alcohol Use Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110014
Author(s):  
W. J. Kiekens ◽  
L. Baams ◽  
J. N. Fish ◽  
R. J. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Minority Adolescents ◽  
Relationship Experiences ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents report higher rates of dating violence victimization compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Research on dating violence often neglects diversity in sexual and gender identities and is limited to experiences in relationships. Further, given that dating violence and alcohol use are comorbid, research on experiences of dating violence could provide insights into alcohol use disparities among SGM adolescents. We aimed to map patterns of relationship experiences, sexual and physical dating violence, and sexual and physical assault and explored differences in these experiences among SGM adolescents. Further, we examined how these patterns explained alcohol use. We used a U.S. non-probability national web-based survey administered to 13–17-year-old SGM adolescents ( N = 12,534). Using latent class analyses, four patterns were identified: low relationship experience, dating violence and harassment and assault (72.0%), intermediate dating experiences, sexual harassment, and assault and low levels of dating violence (13.1%), high dating experiences, dating violence, and sexual assault (8.6%), and high dating experiences, dating violence, and sexual harassment and assault (6.3%). Compared to lesbian and gay adolescents, bisexual adolescents reported more experiences with dating, dating violence, and sexual assault, whereas heterosexual adolescents reported fewer experiences with dating, dating violence, and sexual harassment and assault. Compared to cisgender boys, cisgender girls, transgender boys, and non-binary/assigned male at birth adolescents were more likely to experience dating violence inside and outside of relationship contexts. Experiences of dating, dating violence, and sexual harassment and assault were associated with both drinking frequency and heavy episodic drinking. Together, the findings emphasize the relevance of relationship experiences when studying dating violence and how dating violence and sexual harassment and assault might explain disparities in alcohol use.

Making the Call: College Students’ Legal Consciousness and Hypothetical Activation of Police for Sexual Assaults

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110211
Author(s):  
Trish Oberweis ◽  
Dayna Henry ◽  
Stacey Griner ◽  
Ekaterina Gorislavsky
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Contact ◽  
Legal Consciousness ◽  
Sexual Assault Prevention ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Assault Victims ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Willingness To Report ◽  
Assault Prevention

Research has identified the necessity of sexual assault victims to label their experience as criminal to initiate reporting. However, barriers exist in labeling uninvited sexual contact as criminal. This study examined college students’ assessments of whether eight nonconsensual behaviors met the legal definition of sexual assault, and whether such behaviors should be reported to police. Results indicated students acknowledged the nonconsensual behaviors as criminal; however, gaps were identified between awareness that the acts were criminal and willingness to report to police. Findings demonstrate a need for continued efforts for sexual assault prevention among college students.

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