'We need a culture change': military sexual trauma through the lens of rape culture.

Military sexual trauma remains a critical concern within the US military. One possible explanation for the persistence of this trauma is the presence of rape culture. This study examined perceptions of military sexual trauma within the framework of rape culture (i.e. traditional gender roles, sexism, adversarial sexual beliefs, hostility toward women, and acceptance of violence), in addition to associated factors, to address the US Department of Defense's call to focus on the role of culture on military sexual trauma. Focusing on culture is important as subtle norms in culture shape our behaviour and impact the excusal/perpetration of military sexual trauma. Identifying these norms may provide insight into factors to target in prevention efforts to reduce/eliminate military sexual trauma. Forty-two US service members responded to a series of open-ended questions. Standard content analysis procedures were utilised to determine themes. Results paint a complex picture of military sexual trauma, with participants demonstrating concern regarding military sexual trauma, but minimal acknowledgement of behaviour change to reduce military sexual trauma. These results are consistent with the observed increase in prevalence of military sexual trauma and decrease in reporting of it since 2018. Adding to the existing literature, participants noted the continued existence of rape culture within the military and the need for cultural change to address military sexual trauma.

"There Are Good and Bad Elements to It for Sure": Students' and Faculty/Staff's Perceptions of the Title IX Mandated Reporting Policy.

Faculty, staff, and students employed by or who serve as representative of universities in the United States are required by the Title IX federal law to report all instances of sexual harassment, discrimination, and sexual assault on college campuses. Despite the well-intended purpose of the Title IX regulations, less is known about campus communities' experiences and perceptions of this "mandated reporting," and its influence on disclosure. This exploratory mixed-methods study examines student (n = 88) and faculty and staff (n = 77) thoughts, concerns, and experiences regarding this policy at a mid-sized Northeastern University. Participants were recruited utilizing a campus lab system, with supplemental recruitment through student-life offices on campus. Data were collected via an anonymous survey hosted on the Qualtrics platform. Descriptive statistics were conducted for quantitative responses, whereas thematic analysis was utilized to analyze open text responses. Descriptive statistics demonstrate that the majority of participants (students and faculty/staff) were aware of their "mandated reporter" status. Additionally, students and faculty/staff varied regarding their support of the policy and the majority of faculty/staff had not had students disclose sexual violence to them and thus, had not reported any incidences of sexual violence to the university. Results of the thematic analysis further highlight the complexity of students and faculty/staff views' regarding the "mandated reporter" policy illustrating positive and negative perceived impacts of this policy, as well as several suggestions for improvement. Implications for research and practice are framed within the literature on Title IX, sexual harassment, and violence in the context of universities.

The impact of COVID-19 on domestic violence agency functioning: A case study.

Initial evidence suggests that rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) increased at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, much of the prevalence research has focused on survivors' experiences of IPV during the initial lockdown period from March to June 2020. The current study adds to this initial research by centering the experience of a domestic violence agency located in the United States, 3-months prior to, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The results suggest a similar pattern across service utilization (e.g., total clients served, calls, safe house capacity) and survivor demographics (e.g., race/ethnicity, cisgender women and men), with an initial decrease in service utilization from pre-lockdown to lockdown and an increase, surpassing pre-lockdown, post-lockdown. The only deviations from this pattern of service utilization were for sexual minority individuals, whose service utilization continued to decline post-lockdown and Asian American/Pacific Islander and trans/gender-nonbinary survivors who rarely utilized services across the time period. Additionally, the domestic violence agency relied heavily on their existing finances, well-rounded staff training, and staff wellbeing throughout the pandemic. The unique challenges that COVID-19 provided demanded flexibility, increased technological utilization, and additional funding particularly for safe housing. Implications for future research, intervention, and policy change are provided below.