Preventing Sexual Aggression among University Students: An Online Intervention Study

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Barbara Krahé
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 400335341

Sexual aggression, defined as sexual contact without consent, is a widespread problem among young people, with about one in five women and a lower, yet substantial proportion of men reporting victimization experiences. However, there is a lack of effective, evidence-based prevention programs. The proposed project will develop and evaluate an intervention to prevent sexual aggression perpetration and victimization among university students. By combining an experimental evaluation with a longitudinal design, it is possible not only to assess the efficacy of the intervention but also to evaluate hypotheses about the causal impact of the risk factors targeted by the intervention on the probability of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration. Based on past research on the prevalence of sexual aggression as well as risk factors of perpetration and vulnerability factors of victimization, the program will include first-year students starting university in the academic year 2018/19 and follow them over two follow-up data waves at the end of their first year (+ 8 months) and second year (+ 12 months) of study, covering a total of 20 months. The theory-based intervention centers on changing sexual scripts for consensual sex, as these cognitive representations have been shown to play a decisive role in predicting sexual aggression. Sexual scripts are considered risky to the extent that they contain factors linked to a heightened probability of sexual aggression perpetration and/or victimization. These factors include alcohol use, ambiguous communication pattern, and sexual contacts with casual partners, which inform sexual behavior. In addition, the intervention will target sexuality-related cognitions (sexual self-esteem, acceptance of sexual coercion) and behaviors (sexual assertiveness, use of pornography). These elements will be addressed in six modules presented at weekly intervals in an online format, with a baseline assessment, a post-intervention assessment a week after the intervention, and two follow-ups at the end of the first and second year of study. The intervention group will be compared to a non-treated control group at each wave. Reduced odds of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in the intervention group are the critical outcome variables. The project adopts a gender-inclusive approach by considering males and females in both victim and perpetrator roles and tailoring the intervention to participants’ gender and sexual experience background (opposite and/or same-sex sexual contacts).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants