Clarifying Consent: Primary Prevention of Sexual Assault on a College Campus

SUMMARY

Although more universities are developing policies for students regarding consent for sexual behavior in response to the problem of sexual violence on campus, many students seem either unaware of these policies or what they mean for actual behavior. Policies are only as effective as peoples' understanding and use of them. The current study aimed to evaluate the utility of a prevention education program focused on teaching students about consent. Two hundred and twenty undergraduates, composing a control group, a shorter treatment group, and a longer one, participated in the study. The findings showed the greatest knowledge gain for participants in the longer treatment group that included a discussion of the policy and participation in an activity dealing with its implications. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Acquaintance rape
• college students
• prevention

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Support for this research was provided by grants from the UNH Undergraduate Research Programs Office.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angela M. Borges

Angela M. Borges is Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Victoria L. Banyard

Victoria L. Banyard, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824.

Mary M. Moynihan

Mary M. Moynihan, PhD, is Research Associate Professor, Women's Studies Program, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824.