Dr. Lisa Lieberman Publishes Special Journal Issue on Campus Sexual Assault for the Society for Public Health Education as Co-Editor
Posted in: College News and Events
Dr. Lisa Lieberman, Profesor in the Public Health Department, recently acted as co-guest editor with Dr. Beth Watts for a special journal issue entitled “Campus Sexual Assault Policy and Prevention” for the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE).
The journal is an online open-access supplement, featuring an introductory editorial and eight articles with evidence-based strategies aimed at reducing multiple risk factors for sexual violence prevention and policy.
The articles address innovative approaches to prevent sexual violence at a wide range of post-secondary institutions, including four-year public and private universities, faith-based institutions, liberal arts colleges, community colleges and technical schools, single-gender colleges, and historically black colleges and universities. This issue is especially timely given that colleges and universities that receive federal funding must comply with a new Department of Education regulation to address campus sexual assault by August 14, 2020.
Among university students, approximately 23% of undergraduate women and nearly 6% of men report a nonconsensual sexual act during their time on campuses. Women who experience sexual violence, stalking, or intimate partner violence report significantly higher rates of chronic conditions such as asthma, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and difficulty sleeping as compared to their peers who have not experienced violence. Moreover, females who receive a negative, unsupportive reaction to the disclosure of sexual assault also demonstrate a greater likelihood of PTSD and depression and substance abuse.
Dr. Lieberman noted, “We hope these articles equip university administrators, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of higher education and/or sexual violence to better understand, prevent, and respond to sexual violence-related behaviors on college campuses. Stronger prevention and support for student survivors of sexual assault and harassment should be an institutional priority.”