Does Sexism Mediate the Gender and Rape Myth Acceptance Relationship?

Compared with women, men tend to blame assault victims, exonerate perpetrators, and report higher levels of sexism and rape myths. The goal of the present study was to determine whether sexist beliefs mediate the established relationship between gender and rape myth acceptance in a sample of 626 college students. Results demonstrated that hostile sexism, complementary gender differentiation, and heterosexual intimacy mediated the relationship between gender and rape myth acceptance, suggesting that these attitudes play a role in victim blaming and have potential to inform the development of sexual assault prevention programs.

An Examination of Dating Violence Among College Student-Athletes.

College students are at increased risk for dating violence (DV) perpetration and victimization. One group of college students who may be at elevated risk is college student-athletes. While levels of athletic involvement range from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I to Division III, there is currently a lack of information about the dating and relationship behaviors of male and female Division III student-athletes. This study identified the frequency of both minor and severe physical, psychological, and sexual DV perpetration and victimization in a sample of NCAA Division III college student-athletes. We also examined hazardous drinking and hostile sexism as risk factors for DV perpetration and victimization among male and female student-athletes. A total of 350 student-athletes from a Division III university participated in this study. In total, 57% of student-athletes reported perpetrating some form of DV in the past year, while 56% reported experiencing some form of DV victimization in the past year. Two negative binomial generalized linear models assessed if hazardous drinking and hostile sexism were associated with sexual assault perpetration and victimization among men and women. Both hostile sexism and hazardous drinking were predictive of DV perpetration and victimization. These findings serve as an important first step in identifying behaviors that contribute to DV among Division III student-athletes and can be used to inform future prevention interventions aimed at decreasing DV among student-athletes.

Dating Violence in Adolescence: Implications for Girls' Sexual Health.

Adolescents in the United States are too often involved in relationships characterized by coercion and violence. An emerging body of research suggests that dating violence is linked with other health risks in adolescent relationships, particularly sexual risk behavior. The confluence of risks conferred by dating violence and sexual risk behavior are particularly acute for adolescent girls. Adolescent gynecology providers need to understand the nature of dating violence in adolescence and the ways in which dating violence and sexual risk behavior are mutually influential. This article reviews the literature on the links between dating violence and sexual risk in adolescent girls' relationships. The prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of dating violence in adolescence are discussed, followed by a review of the research linking dating violence and sexual risk, with a focus on common mechanisms underlying these relationship risk behaviors. The review concludes with implications for screening, prevention, intervention, and future directions for research.

An analysis of the sexual health and safety information study abroad directors present their students prior to departure.

Objective: Study abroad students engage in problematic alcohol use, risky sexual activity, and maintain high risk for sexual assault; however, there is a lack of information about relevant prevention practices in study abroad programs. The purpose of this project was to understand the health and safety behaviors (HSBs) discussed with students prior to departure. Method: A total of 143 study abroad program directors from the U.S. completed an online survey, including demographics of the program director and institution, and questions about the HSBs discussed with students. Results: Chi-square analyses revealed that discussions of HSBs rarely differed by institution size or location; however, all HSBs were more likely to be discussed by directors administering programs with higher enrollment. Conclusion: Study abroad directors provide some basic information on sexual health to their students; however, more work is needed to ensure students are informed and attending to information about potential health risks prior to traveling abroad.

Individual and Relationship Characteristics of Adolescent Girls With Histories of Physical Dating Violence.

The objective of this article is to examine the individual and relational characteristics of adolescent girls with a history of physical DV, as well as to utilize partner-specific, temporal data to explore links between these factors and recent or ongoing DV experiences. Participants were 109 high school girls (ages 14-17) identified as having a history of DV through a school-based screening procedure. Details regarding the timing of DV and links with specific dating partners were gathered using Timeline Followback (TLFB) interview methodology. At study entry, 30% endorsed clinical levels of depression symptoms and 89% reported delinquent behaviors. Forty-four percent reported vaginal intercourse in their lifetime and of those, 35% reported not using a condom at last sex. During the 90 days prior to study entry, 69% of youth reported having a romantic relationship and 58% of those youth reported physical/sexual violence. Data revealed that more physical/sexual violence was associated with longer relationship length, Wald χ2(2) = 1,142.63, p < .001. Furthermore, depressive symptoms, not delinquency, contributed significantly to recent DV experiences, even when relationship length was controlled. Our findings suggest that prevention programs for this population should teach participants how to quickly recognize unhealthy relationship characteristics, as violence severity increases with relationship length. Programs for adolescent girls should also address depressive symptoms, which are linked to DV severity when other risks are taken into account. Finally, the TLFB calendar method appears useful for gathering the temporal and partner-specific data needed to understand the complexity of dating relationships and violence experiences in this population.

Students' Alcohol Use, Sexual Behaviors, and Contraceptive Use While Studying Abroad.

College study abroad students may represent a subgroup at risk for increased alcohol use and sexual activity while traveling. The present study explored student's alcohol use, sexual activity, and the interrelationship between the two while abroad. A sample of 372 students (Mage abroad = 20, SD = 3.3, 68% women) who had traveled abroad in the past 3 years were recruited from a large, southern university. Students completed an online survey of demographics, alcohol use, sexual behaviors, and contraceptive use. Students reported consuming an average of six drinks in one sitting, and 76% of women and men met criteria for 'hazardous drinking' while abroad. Students who met criteria for 'hazardous drinking' were more likely to engage in sexual activity; however, they also had a greater likelihood of wearing a condom. Our findings show students engage in problematic drinking and this is related to their engagement in sexual activity while abroad. Findings extend previous research and suggest study abroad programs should address norms around drinking and sexual activity prior to travel to ensure students' safety while abroad.

A content analysis of sexual health and substance use information presented on study abroad websites: Findings and recommendations.

Objective: Despite study abroad students frequently engaging in risky behaviors, there is a dearth of research exploring prevention efforts taken by study abroad programs. The goal of this project was to examine information presented on study abroad program websites regarding sexual assault, alcohol use, drug use, and risky sexual behavior. Participants: A total of 753 universities in the US were selected from the Carnegie Classification of Institutes database. Method: Coders evaluated the website of each institution's study abroad program for the presence of information about the four factors of interest. Results: Sixty-seven percent of the websites provided no information on any of these risk behaviors. Chi-square analyses revealed institutional demographic differences in the presentation of prevention information. We also identified three emerging themes about avenues for modifying website content. Conclusion: Study abroad programs can provide more detail and action oriented information on their websites for students.

Assessment of Evaluation Frameworks for Design of a Sexual Risk Prevention Game for Black Adolescent Girls.

Adolescent sexual risk behavior (SRB), a major public health problem affects urban Black adolescent girls increasing their health disparities and risks for sexually transmitted infections. Collaborating with these adolescents, we designed a game for smartphones that incorporates elements of trauma-informed care and social cognitive theory to reduce SRB. Game researchers promote use of a comprehensive, multipurpose framework for development and evaluation of games for health applications. Our first game development step was framework selection and measurable health outcomes identification. Literature search identified two health game frameworks, both incorporating pedagogical theory, learning theory, and gaming requirements. Arnab used the IM + LM-GM framework to develop and implement a game in a school intervention program. Yusoff's framework was developed for use during game design. We investigated concordance and discordance between our SRB game design characteristics and each framework's components. Findings indicated Arnab's framework was sufficiently comprehensive to guide development of our game and outcome measure selection.

Understanding contributing factors to verbal coercion while studying abroad.

OBJECTIVE: Verbal coercion (VC) is a common sexual assault (SA) tactic whereby men and women can be victims or perpetrators. College study abroad students report engagement in casual sex, alcohol consumption, and immersion in a sexualized environment (eg, an environment that supports or encourages sexual activity); factors highly associated with SA in general. The purpose of this study was to examine casual sex, alcohol use, and sexualized environments with VC victimization (VCV) and perpetration (VCP) while abroad. METHOD: Study abroad students (N = 130) completed questionnaires on alcohol use, casual sex, immersion in a sexualized environment, and VC experiences. RESULTS: Participants were more likely to report both VCV and VCP while abroad if they immersed themselves in a sexualized environment; identifying as male was associated with VCP. CONCLUSION: Results can inform intervention by providing directors with specific constructs to discuss in pre-departure meetings, such as the influence of the environment on VC.

Project Date SMART: a Dating Violence (DV) and Sexual Risk Prevention Program for Adolescent Girls with Prior DV Exposure.

This study assessed the initial feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an intervention aimed at reducing dating violence and sexual risk behavior in a sample of adolescent girls (ages 14-17) with prior exposure to physical dating violence (DV). One hundred and nine girls were randomly assigned to Date SMART (Skills to Manage Aggression in Relationships for Teens) or a Knowledge-only (KO) comparison group. Both intervention arms consisted of six, weekly 2-h sessions and one "booster" session 6 weeks later. Based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, the Date SMART intervention was designed to target common underlying skills deficits linked to both DV and sexual risk behavior in adolescent females: depression, self-regulation deficits, and interpersonal skills deficits. Assessments were administered at four time points (baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months). The Date SMART group was effective as reducing sexual DV involvement across the 9-month follow-up period. Both groups evidenced clinically meaningful reductions in physical, emotional, and digital DV involvement, total time in dating relationships, as well as reductions in depression. Findings indicate that delivering a DV and sexual risk prevention intervention to DV-affected adolescent girls is feasible and well-received. Furthermore, a skills-based approach that addresses the co-occurrence of DV and sexual risk behavior may be particularly useful for promoting reductions of sexual DV among high-risk adolescent girls. A future, large-scale trial with an inactive comparison condition is needed to evaluate the efficacy of Date SMART further. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials, NCT01326195, and http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Pilot Investigation of the Katie Brown Educational Program: A School-Community Partnership.

BACKGROUND: Schools in the United States are increasingly being urged to address the problem of adolescent dating violence (DV) with their students. Given the limited time available to implement prevention programming during the school day, brief programs are needed. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a widely disseminated, brief community-based DV prevention program in partnership with a nonprofit community agency. METHODS: We conducted a randomized waitlist control trial of a 5-session DV prevention program (active condition) compared to health class as usual (waitlist control condition). Participants were 225 10th-grade students with a recent dating history in a large public school in New England. Surveys were administered at baseline, end of program, and 3 months postintervention. RESULTS: After completing the program, students in the active condition reported significantly lower approval of aggression, healthier dating attitudes, and more DV knowledge. These effects were sustained at 3-month follow-up. In addition, students in the active condition reported significantly less emotional/verbal and total DV perpetration and victimization at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a brief, community-based DV prevention curriculum can promote change in behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge among high school students.

Internalizing Symptoms and Safe Sex Intentions among Adolescents in Mental Health Treatment: Personal Factors as Mediators.

Little is known about why some adolescents with internalizing symptoms engage in sexual behaviors that increase their risk for HIV. This study tested a mediation model of internalizing symptoms and safe sex intentions among adolescents receiving mental health treatment. Self-efficacy for HIV prevention, HIV knowledge, and worry about HIV were hypothesized to mediate associations between internalizing symptoms and safe sex intentions among sexually active and non-active adolescents receiving mental health treatment (N = 893, M age = 14.9). Significant indirect effects from internalizing symptoms to safe sex intentions varied according sexual experience: for sexually non-active adolescents, HIV worry and knowledge mediated this link, whereas for sexually active adolescents, HIV self-efficacy was the significant mediator. Increasing both HIV knowledge and self-efficacy for HIV prevention are important targets for HIV prevention with adolescents with internalizing symptoms, and careful attention should be paid towards targeting these interventions to sexually experienced and inexperienced youth.