Recognizing Risk Factors for the Perpetration of Campus Sexual Violence

Abstract

In past surveys of post-secondary men, several factors such as negative peer influences (Humphrey & Kahn, 2000), rape supportive attitudes (Zinzow & Thompson, 2015), as well as excessive alcohol and substance use (Cleveland et al., 2019), have been found to be associated with increased risk of sexual violence perpetration including. Survivors of campus sexual violence rarely choose to report their assault to authorities and instead disclose to close friends or family members. As other students are the main receivers of sexual violence disclosures, it is important examine what influences their perceptions, as this could whether they see the respondent as a risk to others on campus and their level of concern for those who have experienced sexual violence.

The present study aimed to experimentally examine the perceptions of students regarding what would constitute a risk factor for campus sexual violence. Three empirically supported factors were examined: frequent substance usage; attitudes supportive of rape; and negative peer influence. Participants were presented with a vignette depicting an on-campus sexual violence scenario, where the presence of the three risk factors was varied. Participants were then asked to rate the likelihood that the respondent/perpetrator will commit another sexual or violent crime, how safe they would feel around the respondent, the likelihood that the respondent will engage in future sexual violence, and the severity of behaviour. Although data collection has not been completed at the time of writing, it will be complete prior to Student Research Day and preliminary results will be presented.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sandy Jung