Journalist's Resource Research Roundup: Sexual Assault on U.S. College Campuses
In April, the White House’s Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault released a report providing colleges with basic guidelines for dealing with sexual assault cases. According to the report's findings, “One in five women is sexually assaulted in college. Most often, it’s by someone she knows – and also most often, she does not report what happened."
In May, the federal Department of Education released the names of 55 institutions of higher learning that are under investigation for allegedly violating federal rules aimed at stopping sexual harassment. Last week, the New York Times published a piece entitled "Reporting Rape, and Wishing She Hadn't," calling into question the justification for schools handling incidents of sexual assault outside of normal legal channels.
In response to this growing problem, the Journalist’s Resource project based at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy released a roundup of research and recommendations useful for journalists and other media professionals covering rape and sexual assault. See the full list, as assembled by Journalist's Resource, below:
- Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): 2014 recommendations sent to the White House
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Justice 2014 recommendations: “Preventing Sexual Violence on College Campuses: Lessons from Research and Practice"
- National Center for Biotechnology Information 2013 study: “A Systematic Qualitative Review of Risk and Protective Factors for Sexual Violence Perpetration”
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence 2013 Study: “Acknowledged Versus Unacknowledged Sexual Assault Among College Women”
- Journal of American College Health 2010 Study: “Rape Myth Beliefs and Bystander Attitudes Among Incoming College Students”
- Criminal Justice and Behavior 2012 study: “Sexual Assault on the College Campus: Fraternity Affiliation, Male Peer Support, and Low Self-Control”
- Journal of Studies on Alcohol 2004 study: “Correlates of Rape while Intoxicated in a National Sample of College Women”
- Aggression and Violent Behavior 2012 study: “Women’s Risk Perception and Sexual Victimization: A Review of the Literature”
- Violence and Victims 2013 study: “Bystander Education Training for Campus Sexual Assault Prevention: An Initial Meta-analysis”
- National Center for Biotechnology Information 2012 study: “Fear of Rape among College Women: A Social Psychological Analysis”
- Violence Against Women 2012 study: “To Whom Do College Women Confide Following Sexual Assault? A Prospective Study of Predictors of Sexual Assault Disclosure and Social Reactions”
- Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community 2008 study: “Community Responsibility for Preventing Sexual Violence: A Pilot Study with Campus Greeks and Intercollegiate Athletes”
The Dart Center also has a host of resources available for journalists covering rape and sexual violence.