THE EVALUATION OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT SELF-DEFENSE AND RISK-REDUCTION PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE WOMEN: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a sexual assault risk-reduction program that included a physical self-defense component for college women ( N = 500). Program group women significantly increased their protective behaviors over the 6-month follow-up period compared to the waiting-list control group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding rates of sexual victimization, assertive communication, or feelings of self-efficacy over the follow-up periods. Program group women who were victimized during the 3-month follow-up period evidenced less self-blame and greater offender blame for their assaults than control group women who were victimized following the program. Given that program women evidenced a greater awareness of sexual assault at the end of the study than control group women, the difficulty in addressing the impact of programming on rates of sexual victimization is discussed.     

THE PERVERSITY OF INANIMATE OBJECTS: STIMULUS CONTROL BY INCIDENTAL MUSICAL NOTATION

Social cognition research suggests that incidental, environmental stimuli (e.g., business suits) can nonconsciously influence the degree to which behavioral dispositions (e.g., competitiveness) are expressed. Similarly, cognitive research suggests that incidental action-related objects (e.g., hammers) can prime action plans that then affect the speed with which a concurrent, intended action (e.g., power grip) is executed. However, whether incidental stimuli can instigate actions that run counter to one's current goals has yet to be determined. Moving beyond indirect effects, we show that such stimuli can directly cause the expression of undesired actions: Incidental stimuli resembling musical notation caused the systematic expression of unintended key presses in musicians, but not in nonmusicians. Moreover, the effect was found even when targets and distracters bore no apparent perceptual or semantic relation. We discuss the implications of these findings for models of action production and for social-cognitive concepts (e.g., applicability) regarding the limits of nonconscious processing.     

Factors Associated with Current Versus Lifetime Self‐Injury Among High School and College Students

We sought to identify factors associated with current versus lifetime nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) and factors that show consonant and distinct relationships with current NSSI for adolescents and young adults. Data came from a population‐based survey of high school students (n = 9,985) and a national survey of college students (n = 7,801). Among both samples, factors associated with current NSSI included male gender, younger age, greater depressive symptoms, more hopelessness, and being the victim of a verbal or physical assault. For high school students, greater anxiety, and for college students, identifying as non‐White, negative perceptions of one's weight, a same‐sex sexual experience, and involvement in dating violence also distinguished the groups. Findings suggest that clinical and research assessments of lifetime NSSI might not extend to current behavior, and some differences exist in the factors associated with current behavior between adolescents and young adults. Clinical practice and prevention programming efforts should target certain intrapersonal and interpersonal factors associated with current NSSI among younger students during stressful transition periods in their lives, such as entering high school or college, when they might consider initiating or continuing this behavior.     

EVALUATION OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT RISK REDUCTION AND SELF-DEFENSE PROGRAM: A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF A REVISED PROTOCOL

The current study extends the development and evaluation of an existing and previously evaluated sexual assault risk reduction program with a self-defense component for college women ( N = 300). The program protocol was revised to address psychological barriers to responding assertively to risky dating situations, and a placebo-control group was utilized rather than a wait-list control group. Relative to the placebo-control group, the program was effective in increasing levels of self-protective behaviors, self-efficacy in resisting against potential attackers, and use of assertive sexual communication over a 4-month interim. Results also suggested reduction of incidence of rape among program participants over the 2-month follow-up. Implications for future development and evaluation of sexual assault risk reduction programming are presented.