Women\u27s risk perception and sexual victimization: A review of the literature

This article reviews empirical and theoretical studies that examined the relationship between risk perception and sexual victimization in women. Studies examining women\u27s general perceptions of risk for sexual assault as well as their ability to identify and respond to threat in specific situations are reviewed. Theoretical discussions of the optimistic bias and cognitive–ecological models of risk recognition are discussed in order to account for findings in the literature. Implications for interventions with women as well as recommendations for future research are provided

A Creative Writing Case Study of Gender-Based Violence in Coach Education: Stacey’s Story

Accepted author manuscript version reprinted, by permission, from Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 2020, 28 (1): 72–80, https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.2018-0046]. © 2020 University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).Creative nonfiction writing is the literary technique employed in this article to explore insights and assist our understanding of an “alleged” sexual assault in a sport coach education environment. Creative nonfiction employs various narrative tools— characters, setting, figurative language, sequences of events, plot, sub-plot, and dialogue—designed to render the sensitive and controversial elements of sexual assault significant. Readers are, therefore, invited to engage with Stacey’s Story and reflect on the actions of both the perpetrator(s) and the victim. While there are risks associated with the sharing of stories, especially those which are considered dangerous, it is envisaged that Stacey’s Story will be viewed as an opportunity to develop more critical responses and advance our understanding of gender-based violence in sport.Peer reviewe

Men Presenting With Sexual Thoughts of Children or Coercion: Flights of Fancy or Plans for Crime?

Introduction. There is limited evaluation of clinical and theoretical claims that sexual thoughts of children and coercing others facilitate sexual offending. The nature of these thoughts (what they contain) is also unknown. Aims. To examine the relationship between child/coercive sexual thoughts and sexual offending, and to determine the nature of these thoughts and any differences between sexual offending (SO), non-sexual offending (NSO) and non-offending (NO) men. Methods. In a cross-sectional computerized survey, anonymous qualitative and quantitative self-reported sexual thought and experience data were collected from 279 adult volunteers, comprising equal numbers of SO, NSO and NO men recruited from a medium-security UK prison and a community sample of 6081 men. Main Outcome Measures. Computerized Interview for Sexual Thoughts and Computerized Inventory of Sexual Experiences. Results. Three analytical approaches found child sexual thoughts were related to sexual offending; sexual thoughts with coercive themes were not. Latent class analyses identified three types of child sexual thought (primarily differentiated by interpersonal context: the reporting of own emotions, emotions of others or both) and four types of sexual thoughts of coercing others (chiefly discriminated by the other person’s response: no emotional states reported, consent, non-consent, mixed). Type of child sexual thought and participant group were not significantly related. Type of coercive sexual thought and group were marginally related; the consensual type was more common for the NO group, the non-consensual type more common for the SO group, than expected statistically. Conclusions. Child sexual thoughts are a risk factor for sexual offending and should be assessed by clinicians. Generally, sexual thoughts with coercive themes are not a risk factor, though thought type may be important (i.e. thoughts where the other person expresses an enduring lack of consent). Exploring the dynamic risk factors associated with each type of child/coercive thought may lead to more targeted treatment

“It Happens to Girls All the Time”: Examining Sexual Assault Survivors’ Reasons for Not Using Campus Supports

Sexual assault is a prevalent problem in higher education, and despite the increasing availability of formal supports on college campuses, few sexual assault survivors use them. Experiencing sexual assault can have devastating consequences on survivors’ psychological and educational wellbeing, which may intensify if survivors do not receive adequate care. Drawing from existing theoretical frameworks and empirical research, this study used a mixed methodological approach to examine why survivors did not use three key campus supports—the Title IX Office, the sexual assault center, and housing staff—and if these reasons differed across the three supports. Using data from 284 women who experienced sexual assault in college, our qualitative findings identified four overarching themes, including logistical issues (e.g., lacking time and knowledge), feelings, beliefs, and responses that made it seem unacceptable to use campus supports, judgments about the appropriateness of the support, and alternative methods of coping. Quantitative findings revealed that survivors’ reasons for not seeking help differed across supports. Collectively, our findings suggest that community norms and institutional policies can make it challenging for survivors to use campus supports. We propose several suggestions for institutional change (e.g., taking a stronger stance against “less serious” forms of sexual assault, reducing a quasi‐criminal justice approach to investigation and adjudication, limiting mandated reporting).HighlightsIdentifies reasons why college students who experience sexual assault do not use formal sources of support on campus.Examines how reasons for not using formal supports differ across sources of support: Title IX Office, sexual assault center, and housing staff.Provides an in‐depth, contextual understanding of sexual assault survivors’ use and avoidance of campus supports in the wake of substantial policy change.Contributes recommendations for institutional policy and practice based on findings, including taking a stronger stance against “less serious” forms of sexual assault, reducing a quasi‐criminal justice approach to investigation and adjudication, and limiting mandated reporting.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136479/1/ajcp12126.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136479/2/ajcp12126_am.pd

A Longitudinal Analysis of Violence and Housing Insecurity

Violence and housing insecurity are horrible events that may be intertwined, with violence possibly forcing victims to abandon their accommodations and housing insecurity depriving people of the safety of a home or placing them in compromised circumstances. This study uses national, prospective, longitudinal data from the Journeys Home Survey to examine how violence, housing insecurity, and other characteristics in one period affect disadvantaged Australian men's and women's chances of experiencing violence and housing insecurity in subsequent periods. The study is one of the first to investigate these relationships prospectively and unusual in considering how violence among adult men contributes to their housing insecurity. We estimate dynamic multivariate models that control for observed and time-invariant unobserved characteristics and find that men's chances of being housing secure without experiencing violence are 24-45 percent lower and women's chances are 12- 20 percent lower if they experienced housing insecurity, violence or both in the previous period. Heavy drinking, marijuana use, psychological distress, and a history of childhood abuse and neglect also increase the risks of violence and housing insecurity for both genders, while the presence of children reduces these risks. Women who are bisexual or lesbian and women with homeless friends also face elevated risks of housing insecurity, while men's sexual orientation and friend networks seem less relevant