Talking Stick - March/April 2009 - (Page 54) reporting out New Study Prompts Recommendations for More Sexual Assault Awareness Programs on Campuses Considering the stark fact that one in five college women in the United States may be the victim of an attempted or actual sexual assault during their years on campus, according to the National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics, it is no surprise that research on the topic continues to proliferate. A recent study, “Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault: College Women’s Risk Perception and Behavioral Choices,” investigates the relationships among several factors – prior victimization, risk perceptions, and behavioral choices – in responding to drug-facilitated sexual assault at campus parties. In the study, more than 400 female undergraduates of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, rated their perceptions of risk after reading a short story about an acquaintance rape. In general, participants tended to perceive the risk of having someone else pour their beer at a party but did not perceive the risk of leaving the beer unattended. Students who felt ill at a party were not likely to suspect the presence of a date-rape drug, but instead attributed symptoms of nausea, blurry vision, and dizziness to alcohol consumption. Finally, victims of prior sexual assault were more likely to report that they would make risky choices, such as accepting a male acquaintance’s offer to help them into their bedroom. Nearly one-fourth of respondents reported experiencing some type of sexual assault in their lifetime, with half of these women being the victim of multiple sexual assaults. Given the discouraging statistics, the authors include recommendations for an increase in educative and preventative efforts on campus that focus on exposing myths about rape and increasing awareness of drug-facilitated sexual assault, including the necessity of attending to drinks. This study was published in the November/December 2008 issue of the Journal of American College Health and was co-authored by researchers from Miami University and the University of Missouri in Columbia. For more information and to view the study, visit heldref.metapress.com/link. asp?id=u67l4p7356x55185. G W G R A D UAT E S C H O O L O F E D U C AT I O N A N D H U M A N D E V E LO P M E N T Higher Education Administration Doctoral Program Balance Work and Graduate Studies with flexible weekend and evening classes for working professionals: Doctoral Cohort track: Classes meet one weekend per month. Doctoral Traditional track: Classes meet on weekday evenings. Develop strong academic and administrative talents supported by a community focused on advancing research and careers. Transform higher education as a leader of educational and governmental institutions. Visit us online: gsehd.gwu.edu/HEA Find out about our Information Sessions 703.726.8254 gsehd.gwu.edu/HEA submit Your inFormation Reporting Out includes information from regional and national associations that have information of interest to ACUHO-I members. ACUHO-I also encourages other organizations to submit news. Individual items vary in length but should not exceed 100 words. Shorter is better. We encourage contributors to submit relevant, professional-quality photos. Please send submissions and photos to camille@acuho-i.org. www.gwu.edu/gradinfo G21625 THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION CERTIFIED TO OPERATE IN VA BY SCHEV. http://gsehd.gwu.edu/HEA http://heldref.metapress.com/link.asp?id=u67l4p7356x55185 http://gsehd.gwu.edu/HEA http://heldref.metapress.com/link.asp?id=u67l4p7356x55185 http://www.gwu.edu/gradinfo http://www.gwu.edu/gradinfo
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.