JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Intimate partner and sexual violence are pervasive public health issues on college and university campuses in the United States. Research is recommended for creating and maintaining effective, relevant and acceptable prevention programs and response services for student survivors.

Objective:

The UC Speaks Up study aims to examine factors contributing to intimate partner and sexual violence on three University of California (UC) campuses and use findings to develop and test interventions and policies to prevent violence, promote health, and lay the groundwork for subsequent, large-scale quantitative research.

Methods:

A mixed-methods study at UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. Phase I (2017-2020) involved (1) a resource audit; (2) cultural consensus modeling of students’ perceptions of sexual consent; (3) in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with students to understand perceptions of campus environment related to experiences and prevention of, and responses to violence; and (4) IDIs with faculty, staff and community stakeholders to investigate institutional and community arrangements influencing students’ lives and experiences. Phase II (2020-ongoing) involves IDIs with student survivors to assess use and perceptions of campus/community services. Qualitative content analysis is used to generate substantive codes and sub-themes that emerge, using a thematic analysis approach.

Results:

In January 2019 we conducted 149 free-listing interviews and 214 online surveys with undergraduate and graduate/professional students for the cultural consensus modeling. Between February and June 2019: 179 IDIs were conducted with 86 undergraduate students, 21 graduate and professional students, 34 staff members, 27 faculty members, and 11 community stakeholders; and 35 FGDs (27 with undergraduate and 8 with graduate/professional students) were conducted with 201 participants. Since September 2020, 8 of 30 planned student-survivor interviews have been conducted. Recruitment is ongoing.

Conclusions:

Data analysis and phase II data collection is ongoing. Findings will be used to develop and test interventions for preventing violence and promoting health and well-being, and ensuring survivor services are relevant, acceptable to and meet the needs of all individuals in the campus community, including those who are typically understudied. Findings will also be used to prepare for rigorous, UC system-wide public health prevention research.