There is an urgent need in higher education to research prevention education programming that educates and empowers young men to be a part of the solution to sexual violence on college campuses. It’s On Us partnered with HauckEye to conduct a first-of-its-kind qualitative study exploring the attitudes and perceptions of male-identiyfing students and their likelihood to get involved in the prevention of gender-based violence on campus. The Research Project collected information on the types of prevention programming schools are conducting, as well as their effectiveness, reach, and possible gaps by using an exploratory qualitative method in order to better understand the experiences, attitudes, and behaviors of young college men. This research method was chosen for its ability to explain behavior that cannot be easily quantified by allowing participants to detail their experiences and feelings.
The study has several key conclusions. The interviews revealed that study participants aren’t aware of the extent of sexual violence on campus and/or do not see how it effects them. Participants highlighted that current training programs are ineffective, boring, and disconnected from their campus experience. Building awareness of campus sexual assault among young men requires more than just training: they need non-male friends and role models in order to see non-male peers as people, rather than objects. Finally, the men in the study viewed themselves as “good people” and expressed a desire to help others, but they just don’t know how. This underscores the need for comprehensive training to give young men the tools necessary to be an active bystander.
In order to build the most effective programing, It’s On Us campus administrators should implement creative training methods and consider providing certifications to give students a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, training sessions should be held in person whenever possible to increase comprehension. Programing should focus on combating assumptions about campus sexual violence, such as the sterotype that sexual violence only happens at fraternities. Finally, building campus connections is key to effective prevention. Ensuring that men, women, and gender non-conforming students are fully integrated on campus helps establish that non-male identifying students are seen as more than objects.
It’s On Us intends to build on this research and conduct a large-scale quantitative survey. It is urgent to conduct further research and subsequently continue to develop prevention education programming that educates and empowers young men to be a part of the solution.