Sexual Assault on Campus

This article examines the case of Y v University of Queensland and the issue of university disciplinary action in cases of student-on-student sexual assault. In addition to the question of whether universities have legal jurisdiction to decide these matters, there is the more fundamental question of whether they should. Using Martha Fineman’s theory of vulnerability as a theoretical lens, this article seeks to evaluate whether accusations of sexual assault should be treated exclusively as police matters or whether universities have a moral obligation to take independent action.

Download Full-text

Military Alliances and Public Support for War

International Studies Quarterly ◽

10.1093/isq/sqab015 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Michael Tomz ◽

Jessica L P Weeks

Keyword(s):

Public Opinion ◽

Moral Obligation ◽

Public Support ◽

Fundamental Question ◽

Military Alliances ◽

Audience Costs ◽

Wide Range ◽

Willingness To Intervene ◽

Reputational Costs

Abstract How do military alliances affect public support for war to defend victims of aggression? We offer the first experimental evidence on this fundamental question. Our experiments revealed that alliance commitments greatly increased the American public's willingness to intervene abroad. Alliances shaped public opinion by increasing public fears about the reputational costs of nonintervention and by heightening the perceived moral obligation to intervene out of concerns for fairness and loyalty. Finally, although alliances swayed public opinion across a wide range of circumstances, they made the biggest difference when the costs of intervention were high, the stakes of intervention were low, and the country needing aid was not a democracy. Thus, alliances can create pressure for war even when honoring the commitment would be extremely inconvenient, which could help explain why democratic allies tend to be so reliable. These findings shed new light on the consequences of alliances and other international legal commitments, the role of morality in foreign policy, and ongoing debates about domestic audience costs.

Download Full-text

Trauma-Related Shame, Sexual Assault Severity, Thwarted Belongingness, and Perceived Burdensomeness Among Female Undergraduate Survivors of Sexual Assault

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000549 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 134-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christopher R. DeCou ◽

Stephanie P. Kaplan ◽

Julie Spencer ◽

Shannon M. Lynch

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychosocial Risk ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Female Undergraduate ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

And Behavior

Abstract. Background and Aim: This study evaluated trauma-related shame as a mediator of the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Method: A total of 164 female undergraduates who reported attempted or completed sexual assault completed self-report measures of sexual assault, trauma-related shame, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Results: Using path analysis, trauma-related shame mediated the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness, and between sexual assault severity and thwarted belongingness. Limitations: The findings of this study are limited by the retrospective, self-report, and cross-sectional nature of these data, and do not allow for causal inference. Conclusion: Trauma-related shame warrants additional investigation as a mechanism that explains the association between sexual assault and psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior.

Download Full-text