Understanding a University’s Consent Education Among First-Year Students: A Case Study

Understanding a University’s Consent Education Among First-Year Students: A Case Study

Presenter(s)

Sierra Johnson

Comments

Presentation: 11:00 a.m.-11:20 a.m., Kennedy Union 310

Description

One in five women and one in sixteen men experience sexual assault during college. Sexual assault rates increase for first-year students transitioning into a new environment. Institutions address this issue by implementing consent education. However, empirical assessments on college students’ behavior and attitudes are scarce. To address this gap, the current study used a exploratory case study analysis to examine in-depth the impact of one consent education program on first-year college students’ beliefs, attitudes, and experiences at a Midwestern University. The case study employed document reviews, 20 pre-and post-surveys, and two semi-structured interviews. The analyses included direct interpretation of document reviews, paired sample t-test of pre- and post-surveys, and theme analysis of the interviews. Preliminary findings show that the program defines consent as mutual and verbal agreement between all parties and the role alcohol plays in complicating consent, students’ apprehension to practicing consent, and the impact of social settings on one’s sense of belonging. Policy implications for the University’s approach to sexual consent education will be addressed.

Publication Date

4-20-2022

Project Designation

Capstone Project

Primary Advisor

Susybel R. Kallsen

Primary Advisor's Department

Criminal Justice and Security Studies

Keywords

Stander Symposium project, College of Arts and Sciences

Understanding a University’s Consent Education Among First-Year Students: A Case Study

Share

COinS