Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education: A Framework for Prevention Science Program Development.

Sexual harassment is an intractable problem that harms the students, community, culture, and success of institutes of higher education (IHEs). The alarming prevalence of sexual harassment at IHEs highlights the urgent need for effective prevention programs. However, there are few empirically supported preventive interventions that effectively target the factors that most impact the determinants, trajectory, and short- and intermediate-term effects of sexual harassment. In this paper, we overview the problem of sexual harassment and propose an organizing framework to help IHEs develop effective interventions to prevent sexual harassment. Guided by prevention science, we propose a framework-modified from SAMHSA's (2019) guidelines for prevention practitioners-that underscores the criticality of trauma- and equity-informed characteristics in prevention programs. We offer a discussion on how IHEs must consider and evaluate the empirical evidence of effectiveness, flexibility, cultural competency, and sustainability when developing and adapting prevention programs to reduce and-ultimately-ameliorate sexual harassment. We conclude with recommendations that can provide a roadmap for higher education stakeholders and researchers to prevent this urgent public health concern.

A prospective study of sexual risk patterns associated with delinquency and justice involvement among child welfare system-involved male adolescents in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Early sexual activity and teen pregnancy are known risk factors for delinquency and justice involvement among male adolescents. However, less is known about these patterns among child welfare system (CWS)-involved boys who face significant social barriers and past/current traumatic experiences. METHODS: We prospectively examined these associations among male adolescents who identified as low and high risk for child-maltreatment via a secondary data analysis of the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect dataset-a large scale assessment of children, their parents, and their teachers in the United States to understand issues of child abuse and neglect. We extracted and examined data from 657 boys who were identified as at-risk for maltreatment or with histories of substantiated maltreatment at ages 6, 8, 12, 14, and 16. We used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between sexual activity (i.e., age of sexual debut, actively having sex, and sex resulting in a child) and changes in delinquency and justice involvement. RESULTS: Male adolescents who have engaged in sex and/or have fathered a child had greater increases in delinquency over time compared to those who have not had sex. Further, fathering a child was significantly associated with justice involvement, especially for the high-risk group. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that greater efforts should be taken to ascertain CWS-involved male adolescents' sexual health practices and parenting status. Male adolescents in the CWS require support with accessing developmentally appropriate sexual health education and family services.

The effectiveness, acceptability, and sustainability of a 4-week DBT-informed group therapy in increasing psychological resilience for college students with mental health issues.

OBJECTIVE: An adapted, time-limited dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills training group therapy can prove to be an evidence-based treatment that can easily fit the needs, demands, and limitations of University Counseling Centers to serve college students with mental disorders. The present naturalistic study investigated the effectiveness, acceptability, and sustainability of a 4-week DBT-informed group therapy in enhancing psychological resilience. METHODS: Participants included 59 college students with heterogeneous mental health concerns. They attended weekly 1.5-hr DBT-informed, resilience-building group therapy for 4 weeks. Psychological resilience, mindfulness, emotional dysregulation, and overall distress were assessed at pretreatment and posttreatment, as well as at 1- and 3-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Findings showed increased psychological resilience among the participants at posttreatment and follow-ups, and provided preliminary evidence for the role of mindfulness as an important contributor to enhancing psychological resilience even after controlling for risk factors, treatment dosage, pregroup psychological resilience, and changes in emotion dysregulation and overall distress. CONCLUSION: A 4-week DBT-informed skills training group therapy can be utilized as a time-efficient, cost-effective, well-accepted preventative treatment with the potential longitudinal impact to boost psychological resilience for college students with mental health issues.