These summaries were written by SVPEP staff and are based on original papers published within the last 6 years. The information available on this web site is provided as a public service and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Arizona Department of Health Services, or the University of Arizona. To conduct an individual search or locate older articles use the Search Summary Database which includes over 600 articles related to sexual violence.

Brown, T. J., Sumner, K. E., & Nocera, R. (2002). Understanding sexual aggression against women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17, 937-952.

This article describes a study of 139 male college students attending a predominantly White, midsize, Midwestern university. These students responded to five questionnaires: the Psychosocial Function of Sports Scale (to assess sport ideology), a questionnaire measuring the types and amount of sports they participated in or viewed, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (to measure attitudes towards women in society), the Coercive Sexuality Scale (to assess college males’ level of involvement in sexually coercive or aggressive behaviors), and a brief demographic questionnaire (which asked about age, class standing, and fraternity membership). Analysis of these data indicated that fraternity membership, conservative attitudes towards women, and viewing contact sports were significant predictors of sexual aggression against women. Higher scores predicted higher levels of aggression. Oddly, low scores on men’s contact sports participation also predicted higher levels of sexual aggression towards women.

Topics: athletes; fraternities/sororities; male-female relations; perpetration

Choate, L. H. (2003). Sexual assault prevention programs for college men: An exploratory evaluation of the Men Against Violence model. Journal of College Counseling, 6, 166-176.

Several colleges and universities have offered date rape prevention programs for female students. The focus of these programs generally includes risk reduction and self-defense, among other preventative measures. Previous studies have shown that fraternities may reinforce rape myth acceptance among members; therefore, the current study implemented a date and acquaintance rape prevention program aimed to educate male college students affiliated with fraternities. The participants included 149 male fraternity members from a large, public university. Each participant attended a peer led, 1-hour program derived from the Men Against Violence (MAV) student organization program model. The issues addressed during the program were: (a) rape statistics, (b) legal definitions of rape, (c) rape myth acceptance, and (d) repercussions from drug usage in the facilitation of rape. After completing the program, the participants were asked to fill out an evaluation developed to record how the program content affected each of the men. Results of the qualitative analysis indicated that the program was informational – especially in the areas of legal definitions of rape and the harmful nature of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a date rape drug. Further analysis showed that many of the men believed the most important element of the program was the dispelling of rape myth beliefs that can potentially lead to rape. Results from this study suggest a need for more rape prevention programs for college men. Important attributes of such programs should include the clarification of rape definitions and a strong focus on the elimination of rape myth acceptance beliefs.

Topics: fraternities/sororities; myths/stereotypes; prevention

Davis, T. L., & Liddell, D. L. (2002). Getting inside the house: The effectiveness of a rape prevention program for college fraternity men. Journal of College Student Development, 43, 35-50.

Studies have shown that the prevalence of acquaintance rape and date rape is much higher than that of stranger rape. While studies on perpetrators of stranger rape have suggested psychopathology as the cause of their actions, according to sociocultural theory, perpetrators of acquaintance rape and date rape may be motivated by gender role ideology. The authors of this study investigated whether sex role socialization modifies males’ attitudes and beliefs condoning rape. A total of 90 fraternity men (between the ages of 18–23 years old), attending a large college in the Midwest, were asked to participate in this study. The participants were divided into three groups: (a) a control group, (b) a group that attended a traditional date rape prevention program, and (c) a group that attended a program aimed at identifying and addressing the gender role ideals of the participants. Each group attended one 90-minute session and was given a pretest, posttest, and a follow-up posttest. Results indicate that both of the treatment groups exhibited lower acceptance of rape myths and an increased understanding of coercion and consent; with the group that attended the traditional date rape prevention program retaining the most information about consent/coercion after six weeks. Gender role conflict was significantly associated with rape myth acceptance. Future research might investigate whether more long-term rape prevention program regimens would prove to have longer lasting effects on gender role ideals and attitudes contributing to acquaintance rape and date rape perpetration.

Topics: fraternities/sororities; myths/stereotypes; prevention

Flack Jr., W. F., Caron, M. L., Leinen, S. J., Breitenbach, K. G., Barber, A. M., Brown, E. N. et al. (2008). "The red zone": Temporal risk for unwanted sex among college students. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, online. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: First-year college women were not found to be at elevated risk for unwanted sex, but second-year women were at elevated risk during a period corresponding to sorority and fraternity pledging activities.

Summary: There is a popular perception that inexperienced college freshman women are at greatest risk for sexual assault, especially during the first few weeks or months of the fall semester. To test this, the researchers surveyed first-year (n=104) and second- year (n=101) male and female college students about unwanted experiences of sexual contact. Those who had experienced unwanted sex were asked to place the event(s) in one of 7 time periods.

Women reported significantly higher rates of unwanted sex than men (44% vs. 7%). Most experiences involved the consumption of alcohol (81%) and almost one-third of the offenders were well-known to their victims (all were students at the university). Relatively more unwanted touching experiences occurred during the last time period—the second year from about one month after the start of school to the middle of October—than any other time. Researchers were told by sorority members that this corresponded to the period called “pledging”, during which young (second-year) women were invited to frequent fraternity parties at which alcohol was consumed.

Limitations: This study was conducted at a small Eastern liberal arts college. College cultures and activities vary widely, and results of this study might have been different at a campus with different characteristics.

Topics: alcohol; college; fraternities/sororities; prevalence; risk

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Updated 09/19/08