Faculty Publication Spotlight: Impact of Universal Sexual Violence Prevention Intervention for Sexual Minority Students

Universal Sexual Violence Intervention Effects in a Cluster-Randomized Trial: Moderation by Sexual Orientation  

Robert W. S. Coulter, Rachel E. Gartner, Casey Cramer, Emil K. Smith, Kaleab Z. Abebe, and Elizabeth Miller 

About:

Sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, and bisexual) college students are at greater risk of experiencing sexual violence (SV) than their heterosexual peers. Despite this, interventions to reduce SV are typically not evaluated for effectiveness among sexual minority students. In ‘Universal Sexual Violence Intervention Effects in a Cluster-Randomized Trial: Moderation by Sexual Orientation,’ the authors address this gap examining whether sexual orientation moderates the impact of a universal brief harm reduction intervention program on outcomes such as knowledge of SV services, self-efficacy to obtain consent, and recent experiences of SV.  

Key Insights: 

  • The intervention studied increased knowledge of resources among sexual minority students but did not decrease their sexual violence exposure.  
  • Given the high rates of sexual violence experienced by sexual minority students, interventions are needed that reduce their SV exposure.

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