Yes, It's that Common and Yes, It's that Bad: An Estimation of the Prevalence and Psychological Correlates of Rape and Sexual Assault in College Women.

Rape myths play a role in rape denialism, in which individuals deny the prevalence and severity of sexual assault. This project aimed to address two common rape myths: that rape is uncommon and its effects are exaggerated. To test these claims, we explored two archival samples consisting of undergraduate women. Study 1, a 5-year chart review of university counseling center intake forms (n = 883), demonstrated that 30.2% of clients had experienced "sexual violence," "sexual contact without consent," or both. Study 2, a re-analysis of an emerging adulthood resilience survey dataset (n = 359), demonstrated that 20.6% of subjects had a history of sexual assault, and that those women reported lower life satisfaction and more severe psychological symptoms than those who did not. These findings are in line with previous literature debunking harmful rape myths that contribute to the perpetuation of rape culture. Our data help validate these rape notions as mythical; rape is indeed common and devastating.

Awareness isn't saving lives: An experimental exploration of suicide risk reduction methods for emerging adults.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide prevention campaigns commonly employ brief informational materials aimed at emerging adults. Are such programs helpful, and do design characteristics yield differences in user outcomes? Literature is reviewed from the interpersonal theory of suicide, escape theory, and terror management theory, to inform our experimental design. METHOD: Participants (n = 977 MTurk emerging adults) reported demographics and suicide histories and were randomized to one of nine experimental cells with varying video and journaling conditions to approximate suicide prevention materials. Participants were surveyed on perceptions of the materials' risk reduction effectiveness, indicated their suicidality risk factors (e.g., hopelessness, depressiveness, purposelessness, and non-belongingness), and conducted an implicit association test of suicidality. RESULTS: Suicide risk factors did not differ between experimental and control conditions, but certain conditions were rated as more effective (i.e., essay conditions prompting reflection, and the video condition featuring a personal/affective narrative). While there was no actual comparative reduction of risk, there was a perception that certain designs were more helpful. CONCLUSION: Real-world suicide prevention campaigns often feel justified despite lacking impact. Effective suicide risk reduction requires greater time investment and deeper personal connection than brief campaigns can offer, as well as systemic changes from a public health policy perspective.

Separation of Church and Trait: Trait Death Anxiety is Universal, Distressing, and Unbuffered by Worldview in Emerging Adults.

We begin with a review of death anxiety in emerging adults and then report on a descriptive survey study using the Revised Livingston-Zimet Death Anxiety Scale (RLZDAS). Research questions dealt with the RLZDAS' factor structure, demographic patterns, and hypothesized correlations with distress and religiosity/spirituality. We surveyed university-enrolled emerging adults (n = 706). Findings included a 3-factor solution on the RLZDAS (cognitive, repressive, and affective) and no appreciable relationships with demographic factors. Clinical symptomatology was correlated with death anxiety (r = .40), particularly cognitive death anxiety (r = .45), especially in non-believers (r = .58). Religiosity/spirituality did not buffer death anxiety, and some components were actually positively correlated. We argue that death anxiety in emerging adults is multidimensional, clinically relevant, and relatively universal and that broad notions of worldview/belief are not necessarily protective factors.

Distinguishing Between Self-Classified Religious and Spiritual Groups of Emerging Adult Males: Conceptual and Psychometric Challenges.

This study sought to determine whether measures of religion and spirituality could discriminate between emerging adult males who self-identified as both religious and spiritual (B), religious only (R), spiritual only (S), or neither (N). Two religion measures and three spirituality measures were employed to assess the constructs. It was predicted that those who self-identify as religious only would score significantly higher on the religion measures than those who identified as spiritual only, and those that identified as spiritual only would score significantly higher on the spirituality measures than those who identified as religious only. Results supported the first hypothesis, but not the second. The relationship between spirituality and religion measures indicated substantial overlap and the possibility of differential relationships between emerging male and female adults.

The dimensions of successful young adult development: A conceptual and measurement framework.

In this article, we draw on the theoretical and empirical literature to name what appear to be core dimensions of successful young adult development. We also describe some possible indicators and measures of those dimensions and sketch the kinds of developmental relationships and opportunities young people need in adolescence to effectively transition to a successful young adulthood, as well as the developmental relationships and opportunities young adults need for continued well-being. We name eight social, psychological, behavioral, educational, occupational, health, ethical, and civic dimensions of successful young adult development, and suggest that only a minority of adolescents are well-prepared to make a transition to successful young adulthood. The goal of the article is twofold: to contribute to the articulation of and consensus on the dimensions of successful young adult development, and to lay the groundwork for subsequent research to empirically validate both those core dimensions, as well as developmental indicators of progress toward attainment of these proposed dimensions of well-being.