Dr. Brian Ogawa from Washburn University and Dr. Bernadette Muscat from California State University, Fresno represented the JCVVS at the 9th Annual Wyoming Victim Services Conference held September 25 - 27, 2007 in Cody, Wyoming.

Dr. Ogawa presented a keynote address entitled "The Inclusion Principle: Diversity Competency in Victim Services." The keynote highlighted how individual providers and agencies can become more multiculturally inclusive, competent, and accessible. He also presented the workshop "Morita Therapy and Post Trauma: Intervention and Recovery for Crime Victims and Survivors" which provided a brief overview of how certain Morita principles can affect recovery for victims through intervention methods and rebuilding of life way.

Dr. Muscat presented two workshops. The "Collaboration: Building Organizational Partnerships for Change" presentation provided an overview of the mechanics of building collaborative organizational partnerships to bring about change at the organizational, societal, and/or policy levels. "The Role of Restorative Justice for Victims of Family Violence" presentation explored the efficacy of restorative justice as an option for victims of family violence. The pros and cons of restorative justice were addressed, as well as the safety mechanisms that must be in place for restorative justice to be a viable option for victims of family violence.

Approximately 140 people attended the conference. Individuals interested in these topics as conference presentations or as more intensive trainings should contact Thomas Underwood at: thomas.underwood@washburn.edu

Proposals are being accepted for workshops, panels, posters and exhibits for the 6th American Symposium on Victimology which will be held March 5-7 at Fresno Pacific University.

JCVVS e-newsletter reviews offer a brief synopsis of research and programs relevant to violence and victim studies. Brevity does not allow for comprehensive analysis, rather key points and observations for further review and consideration. Reviews are provided by persons affiliated by the JCVVS and do not necessarily reflect the position of the JCVVS or the affiliate Universities.

Title: "Unwanted Sexual Contact on Campus: A Comparison of Women's and Men's Experiences."

Author(s): V. Banyard, S. Ward, E.S. Cohn, E.G. Plante, C. Moorhead, and W. Walsh.

Source: Violence and Victims (2007). vol. 22 (1), pp. 52-70.

Reviewer: Bernadette Muscat

The study used a random sample of 651 undergraduate students (225 males and 408 females) from a state university in New England. The study examined gender differences in the incidence of unwanted sexual contacts not including severe forms of violence and/or rape. The study also looked at the relationship to the perpetrator, the role of alcohol, the location of the incident, reported consequences, and disclosures.

A review of the literature indicated that alcohol usage was associated with a greater likelihood that individuals were placed in risky situations (e.g., a party) in which unwanted sexual experiences could occur. A 2000 study of college women found that most victims knew their perpetrator and most rapes occurred in a domicile either on- or off-campus. Studies of male victims found that males were also likely to know the perpetrators. Other studies showed that women were more likely than male to report physical force and men reported high rates of psychological pressure to engage in unwanted sexual acts. Females were likely to use physical resistance, whereas if males used resistance, it was verbal in nature. Other research showed that male sex role socialization influenced male perceptions of unwanted sexual contact. For example, some men did not really believe that they could be sexually coerced by women or that if it did happen, it was more acceptable than if a male sexually coerced a woman. Males were also less likely to report symptoms of psychological stress beyond depression, but did report greater use of alcohol in response to the unwanted sexual contact. Female victims were more likely to talk about incidents of unwanted sexual contact when there were injuries, when substances were used, or when there was a known perpetrator. When females did disclose, they told a family member or friend. Unwanted sexual contact was reported to the authorities when the incident occurred on-campus, if the perpetrator was a stranger, and/or if the perpetrator was a different ethnicity than the victim. Women were more likely to use services in response to unwanted sexual contact than males. One study found that there were no overall gender differences in disclosure of a sexual assault.

In the current study, the researchers specifically wanted to know about unwanted contact, which was defined as situations in which the victim communicated that s/he did not want to engage in the sexual experience. Students were asked how many times this occurred over a 6-month period during the academic year in which the study took place. The results indicated that females were more likely than their male counterparts to be in a relationship, whereas males were more likely to live in Greek housing and use more alcohol than females in the study. Females were more likely to experience unwanted sexual contact than males. Interestingly, those involved in a relationship regardless of gender, were less likely to experience unwanted contact. Those who drank with greater frequency were more likely to experience unwanted contact. For those males who experienced unwanted sexual contact, it was more likely to occur at a party and women marked "other" for the location of the incident. Women (15%) were more likely than males (6%) to note being too scared to resist the unwanted contact. In this study, males were not likely to disclose the incident to anyone. Women were more likely than males to know how and where to access information or help in dealing with the sexual assault, know about campus resources, and had attended a rape prevention program. There were no gender differences in knowledge and use of campus counseling services. The findings of this study indicated that ongoing prevention efforts are needed, as well as greater emphasis on consent in relationships, peer norms, and acceptable behavior.

email: jcvvs@washburn.edu

phone: 785-670-1399

web: http://www.washburn.edu/ce/jcvvs/