Research Project

Sexual violence against women is a pervasive public health and safety crisis in the United States, particularly on college campuses. Recent research suggests that the sexual violence rate in higher education sits at about 20 percent, but given that sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes, this is likely a gross understatement. Most women do not report sexual assault for fear of being blamed or not believed. Not only do women have to grapple with the fear of not being believed, they are often left to deal with the serious psychological consequences of sexual trauma, including substance abuse and addiction, self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. These mental health struggles not only take a noticeable toll on a survivor’s academic performance, they significantly and unfairly diminish their quality of life. In addition to analyzing the current rates of sexual violence, contributing factors that indicate potential sexual violence perpetration, and the psychological consequences of sexual trauma, this paper looks at current sexual violence prevention curriculum commonly used at the high school and college level. While many sexual violence prevention programs focus on bystander training and other preventative or reactive strategies, it is vital that students hear directly from survivors so that they understand how sexual violence has impacted their lives. Presenting documentaries, such as The Hunting Ground or Athlete A, can potentially make an effective emotional appeal to high school students before entering university so that they are inspired to emphasize consent and treat one another with respect.