College Students’ Feelings of Campus Connectedness, Party Safety Behavior and Intervening to Prevent Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence

Authors

Ernest N. Jouriles, Southern Methodist UniversityFollow
Alison Krauss, Southern Methodist University
Kelli Sargent, Southern Methodist University
John Grych, Marquette UniversityFollow
Michele Cascardi, William Paterson University
K. Daniel O'Leary, SUNY Stony Brook
Christina Murphy, Marquette University
Jamie Nguyen, Southern Methodist University
Renee McDonald, Southern Methodist University
David Rosenfield, Southern Methodist University

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

2020

Publisher

American Psychological Association

Source Publication

Psychology of Violence

Source ISSN

2152-0828

Abstract

Objective: This research examines associations between college students’ feelings of campus connectedness and two types of prosocial bystander intervention behavior to prevent sexual assault: party safety behavior and intervening in high-risk situations. Method: Short-term longitudinal associations between college students’ feelings of campus connectedness and bystander intervention behavior were examined in three studies. Study 1 (n = 213) examined these associations over a 1-month period. Study 2 (n = 557) was designed to replicate findings from Study 1 in a larger, more diverse sample. Study 3 (n = 730) was designed to replicate and extend findings with party safety behavior from Studies 1 and 2 over a 2-month period. Study 3 also examined whether frequency of party attendance and feelings of responsibility might help explain the association between campus connectedness and party safety behavior. In each of the three studies, students were recruited from multiple universities; students reported on feelings of campus connectedness at baseline and on bystander behavior at baseline and follow-up assessments. Results: In each study, students’ feelings of campus connectedness predicted party safety behavior at follow-up, controlling for party safety behavior at baseline. Feelings of campus connectedness were not associated with intervening in high-risk situations. In Study 3, frequency of party attendance and feelings of responsibility did not explain the association between campus connectedness and party safety behavior. Conclusion: Feelings of campus connectedness may be important to consider in campus efforts to prevent sexual assault.

Comments

Accepted version. Psychology of Violence, Vol. 10, No. 5 (2020): 542-551. DOI. © 2020 American Psychological Association. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Jouriles, Ernest N.; Krauss, Alison; Sargent, Kelli; Grych, John; Cascardi, Michele; O'Leary, K. Daniel; Murphy, Christina; Nguyen, Jamie; McDonald, Renee; and Rosenfield, David, "College Students’ Feelings of Campus Connectedness, Party Safety Behavior and Intervening to Prevent Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence" (2020). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 473.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/473