Julia O’cOnnor

In U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs), mandatory reporting policies require certain designated employees to report any experience of sexual violence they learn about to IHE officials, regardless of victim/survivors’ consent to the report. Many IHEs designate all or nearly all employees as mandatory reporters (a Universal approach). However, others have more nuanced policies, such designating only select employees as mandatory reporters and requiring other employees to obtain survivor consent to reports made to IHE officials (a Selective and Survivor Directed approach). This mixed method study explored Title IX practitioners’ perspectives of two mandatory reporting policy approaches. We collected survey data from 260 Title IX practitioners at U.S. IHEs. Our quantitative analysis explored multiple factors associated with Title IX practitioners’ preference for a Universal or Selective and Survivor Directed approach (fear of lawsuits, fear of negative media, legal training, years of Title IX experience, trauma competency, mandatory reporting policy at their IHE, gender, residentiality). Only one was significant: participants whose IHE currently had a Universal policy (vs. an Alternative policy) were more likely to prefer the Universal approach. Our qualitative analysis offered nuanced insight into participants’ policy preferences. All participants wanted a policy they believed would effectively address sexual violence but differed in what they believed would be most effective. Participants who preferred the Universal approach believed an effective policy would be simple and center the Title IX office. Participants who preferred the Selective and Survivor Directed approach believed an effective policy would be flexible and center survivor autonomy. Participants also differed in their conceptualization of survivor autonomy. Findings underscore the need for empirical evidence on the intended and actual outcomes of mandatory reporting policies.

This study compares the mental health outcomes of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) whose primary language is not English with those of survivors whose primary language is English. A total of 126 IPV survivors were recruited for this study, many of whom identified as Latiné (42.86%). We examined the relationship between primary language (English vs. non-English) and mental health outcomes, including mental health issues and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as well as the role of social support in this relationship. The results indicate that participants who do not speak English as their primary language were less likely to report mental health issues and lower levels of PTSD symptoms compared with their English-primary-speaking counterparts. However, social support did not significantly influence the relationship between primary language and mental health outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the experiences of non-English primary-speaking survivors and the support systems that can help mitigate the effects of IPV.

Despite a growing body of research on the negative mental health impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV) on college students, little work has explored the potential of protective factors to buffer symptoms. This study used the American College Health Assessment (ACHA) dataset to examine protective factors (campus belonging, campus safety, flourishing, and resilience) in addressing psychological distress and suicidal ideation among college student survivors of IPV. Fall 2019 panel data were analyzed, and the sample size was 35,220 following listwise deletion. Stata was used to conduct multivariate regression analyses, which included examination of interaction effects. Survivors of IPV reported greater psychological distress ( B = 0.96, p < .05, R ² = 0.39) and suicidal ideation ( B = 1.26, p < .001, R ² = 0.30) than non-survivors. All hypothesized protective factors significantly mitigated the negative mental health outcomes associated with IPV while highlighting the ways that experiencing IPV can reduce the strength of some of these traditionally emphasized protective pathways for students. Namely, campus safety and flourishing offered additional protection for survivors of IPV compared to those who had not experienced IPV. Addressing the mental health needs of survivors on college campuses requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses early identification, tailored interventions, fostering a supportive campus culture, promoting protective factors, and implementing supportive university policies. The findings underscore the critical importance of implementing proactive screening measures to identify survivors of IPV who may need mental health support. Cultivating a supportive campus culture that prioritizes student belonging and safety is fundamental in promoting the well-being of survivors. Universities should invest in initiatives that bolster protective factors, such as mentorship programs, community-building activities, and campus-wide campaigns promoting mental health awareness.

Economic abuse (EA) comprises behaviors that impact an individual’s ability to acquire, use, or maintain economic resources, threatening their financial security and well-being. While research on EA has increased in the last two decades, most studies have been conducted in high-income countries with little evidence on how EA manifests in different sociocultural contexts. This mixed-methods scoping review provides an overview of the state of knowledge on EA among adults in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), focusing on the conceptualization and measurement of EA, including culturally specific forms of EA, and outlining risk factors and consequences of EA to guide future research, policy, and program development. We searched for eligible studies in the ProQuest Social Science Collection, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science , and Medline and identified 30 studies across 20 LMICs published in English up to May 2024. Culturally specific forms of EA in LMICs that emerged from this review included refusal to contribute financial resources, restricting access to shared housing, bride price and dowry-related tactics, and exploitation of women’s labor. Findings also highlighted the role of sociocultural norms in shaping the kinds of EA women faced. Gendered norms around women’s and men’s economic roles, including customary marriage practices and patrilocality, emerged as the main risk factors. Several studies found linkages between EA and poor mental and physical health and financial hardship. EA also often co-occurred with other forms of abuse. Studies highlighted the need for gender-egalitarian legislation, increasing awareness of EA, survivors’ knowledge of financial practices, culturally sensitive interventions, and longitudinal research.

Despite a plethora of research examining campus dating and sexual violence (DSV) risk and protective factors, little of this research has been conducted at non-traditional institutions such as minority-serving institutions (MSIs), community colleges, or non-predominantly white institutions. A review of research on statistically significant protective and risk factors for campus perpetration or victimization at non-traditional institutions resulted in 12 articles. The inclusion criteria for the study were that the article was in English, in a peer-reviewed journal, and published between 2010 and 2021. Keyword searches identified 1,160 articles on campus DSV, which were then screened to ensure the quantitative research was conducted at a non-traditional institution. Significant perpetration and victimization factors, characteristics of the samples and institutions of these studies, and the research design were extracted. Few studies included in the review investigated DSV at MSIs, commuter campuses, or community colleges. Also, studies more commonly examined victimization, risk factors, and sexual violence, as opposed to perpetration, protective factors, or dating violence. Cross-cutting factors for both dating and sexual violence included alcohol and drug use, demographics, and prior abuse. Cross-cutting factors for both victimization and perpetration included personality characteristics, alcohol and drug use, demographics, and history of abuse. Future research should investigate DSV at non-traditional institutions to increase our understanding of risk and protective factors at these rarely studied institutions.

Endorsing problematic sexual violence-related attitudes including rape myth acceptance (RMA), hostile sexism, and disapproval of sexual consent is associated with negative outcomes, including the perpetration of sexual violence. This study examined social connections as a protective factor for sexual violence-related attitudes among a sample of 770 participants. Results indicate that in the full sample, connections to a workplace were protective for RMA and hostile sexism while family connections were protective for disapproval of sexual consent, RMA, and hostile sexism. Patterns of other social connections differed in separate models for men and women. Unexpected findings indicating that connections to a religious social group are a risk, not a protective, factor are discussed.