Dating and Sexual Violence on College Campuses: A Systematic Review of Study Populations and Settings

Background:  Dating and sexual violence are critical issues for post-secondary institutions. Consequences for collegiate survivors span difficulties with physical and mental health, future victimization, and academic achievement.  The 2013 Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act mandates that institutions educate faculty, staff, and students about preventing and addressing sexual and domestic violence on campus.  Institutions need a robust and applicable knowledge base in order to address violence.  To identify potential knowledge gaps, this systematic review assessed the extent to which the current literature is representative of the diverse student bodies and institutions found in American higher education.  Research questions included:  1) In what types of institutions is collegiate interpersonal violence research conducted?  2) Who are research participants? 3) In what types of institutions is intervention research conducted? 4) Who are intervention research participants?  5) Are there differences in type or focus of research by institutional or participant demographics?

Methods: A systematic search of nine databases resulted in 1,718 articles from peer-reviewed journals from 2010-2015.  Full Texts were reviewed for inclusion criteria: 1) a sample of US based college students; 2) addressing dating or sexual violence on campus; 3) analysis of original data.  The final sample included 196 studies.  These studies were reviewed to identify key characteristics of participants and settings, which were compiled into a database for analysis.

Results:  Over 50% of studies occurred at large universities.  Studies were also conducted at medium sized universities (23.04%), liberal arts colleges (2.65%), and among national samples (10.05%).  None occurred in 2-year institutions. Study participants were young (mean= 19.71 years, SD=1.17).   Over 40% of studies included both female and male students.  The percent of of students who identified as white ranged from 0%-95.8%, with a mean of 76.32% (SD=17.11). Among the 25 intervention studies: 44.00% occurred in large universities, 18.87% occurred in medium sized universities, and 8% occurred in liberal arts colleges, 60% included mixed gender samples, and over 70% of participants identified as white.  Intervention and psychometric studies were more likely to include both male and female participants (χ 2(6)=13.87, p=.03). Studies of female participants were more likely to focus on victimization, while male only studies were more likely to focus on perpetration (χ 2(4)=130.96, p=.000).

Implications: The experiences of students vary across collegiate settings, with different institutional cultures impacting attitudes and behaviors.   However, our current knowledge base is weighted heavily towards the experiences of a subset of students, primarily students at large and medium sized universities. No included studies were conducted in 2-year institutions even though they comprise the largest sector of American higher education, and serve populations who are underrepresented in other contexts. 2-year colleges have student bodies that are often older (average age=29), working full time, and parenting. The age of participants also suggests a potential gap, as older students may have unique needs.  Similarly, while only 60% of students in American higher educational institutions identify as white, studies had over 75% white participants.  Attention is needed to develop tailored knowledge and interventions for a wide variety of students and institutions.