HDF 414 Research Paper

12/11/2018 HDF 414 Research Paper - Google Docs

Sexual Assault on College Age Males
Alexander Allard
HDF 414
University of Rhode Island

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hihVFDrZIiqHgNryd4QiXfuD-y9C_7JYakaz8YOTGBc/edit 1/10
Abstract
Sexual Assault is something that every member of our society knows about or has at least
heard about. There are hundreds of people each year who are sexually assaulted and countless
others who are indirectly affected by it. Although sexual assault effects a large portion of our
population there is a certain age group that is effected on a much larger scale. That population is
college students. This research project focuses on these college students and more specifically,
the males. One in six males is sexually assaulted or abused in their lifetime. The purpose of this
project is to study what resources are available on college campuses for sexual assault victims,
specifically males, in order to improve their resources. By studying what resources already exist
we are able to improve upon or create new ones as needed. In order to fully understand what
needs to be done the primary case study being used is the University of Rhode Island. A
program will be developed in order to improve the resources for sexually assaulted males on
college campuses.
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Introduction
Sexual Assault is sadly something that is very prevalent in our society. There are
hundreds of articles that come out each year about sexual assault victims and their experiences.
These articles talk about how the victims can work to prevent, deal with, and overcome sexual
assault. Today, there are countless resources for victims of sexual assault. Resources such as
classes, online chats, and of course family. These resources and articles are all great, but they
exclude something extremely important, men. Almost every resource out there on sexual assault
is geared towards women and their experiences. But, how many are there for men?
The purpose of this project is to discuss a set of resources that can be created at the
University of Rhode Island for these males who have nobody to turn to. Perhaps the most
difficult aspect of this project is finding male victims to talk to. Whether, it’s about their
experience, the resources they used, how they coped, and what resources they wish they had. In
today's’ society there is definitely an active discussion on sexual assault, but the largest problem
is that not everyone is included in the discussion. Men are almost always seen as the bad guys
when it comes to sexual assault. Therefore, it is extremely hard for many to view them as
victims of it. Often times, men are seen as tough rigid figures who feel nothing and can’t be
hurt. But, that is completely false, especially with men these days who are becoming more in
touch with their emotions. The largest aim of this program is to help serve the men who have
been sexually assaulted and hopefully allow them to see that it wasn’t their fault and that men too
can be victims. Developing a program that can accomplish this could greatly improve the lives
of many sexually assaulted males on college campuses.
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Method
Sexual assault is not something that is taken lightly on college campuses across the U.S.,
and there is no exception to that here at the University of Rhode Island. There are countless
resources provided for students who have been attacked or assaulted. These resources include
but are no limited to the Women’s Center, the Counseling Center, the Police Station, Health
Services, and of course student peers. While working to learn about these resources the
Assistant Director of Counseling at the Counseling Center, Cory Clark (Appendix 1) was
approached. He was approached due to his interaction with hundreds of students each semester
about countless topics including sexual assault. We discussed a lot and he was asked a series of
questions (Appendix 2). These questions included: What resources are there for sexual assault on
campus? Of these how many are geared towards women? How many geared towards men? How
many women on on average report sexual assault on campus? How many men? Do you feel there
are enough resources for men? Do you feel a program that meet twice a week for just males
could work? What would you discuss in such a program? Are there enough resources on campus
for sexually assaulted males? Based on the responses given by Cory it’s clear that URI has a
need for some sort of resource specific to sexually assaulted males on campus. “There are
almost zero reports of male sexual assault on campus but they definitely are present.” said Cory.
Apparently, many male students come in the Counseling Center to discuss some issue about a
“friend” or something unrelated, but it is very evident they are talking about themselves and
some form of sexual assault incident. The fact that these individuals feel they need to cover up
the assaults or hide them to people they are supposed to feel comfortable with shows just how
much URI needs this program. It will allow for them to have a safe space consisting of all males
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who have experienced the same or similar things as them. Everything learned during the
interview with Cory was used to help improve the program being developed. This information
although crucial to starting this program is only a small part of the information needed for it to be
successful. The most important thing for this program to be successful is input from students.
Specifically, the males who have been affected. In order to see what works for them.
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Discussion
The University of Rhode Island definitely has room for growth when it comes to its
resources and staffing who deal with sexual assault. Sexual assault is something that can be
reduced but no matter how much education and prevention programs there are it will always be
present. The aim of this project proposal is to create resources for those who are assaulted,
specifically the males. Resources are mainly geared towards women because of social norms
within our society. Therefore the purpose of this proposal is to create a safe space just for men.
A class of sorts that will cater to just men and will take place in the Memorial Union twice
weekly. This class will mainly focus on sexual assault and abuse. Both physical and mental
assault will be discussed because both have an extremely large impact. The aim of this program
will be to provide a safe space where men don’t have to worry about appearing “weak” or “too
emotional” in front of others. Based off of things discussed in the interview with Cory
(Appendix 2) it was determined that the program should be run by a male student, who is aided
by a trained certified professional who deals with sexual assault. The most key feature of this
weekly program is the peer interaction and showing these males they are not alone. Then, once
these individuals feel safe and comfortable in the space a professional can be brought in to speak
to them. This program will be held twice a week in a room in the union late at night so there will
be no conflicts with class or other organizations. Also, by holding the class later at night the men
will feel more comfortable walking to the union because there will be less people around to ask
why they are going to the union and what they are doing.
Serving these males is the main goal of this program. To define and outline a specific
conversation or goal of this program would be a big mistake. It is all about these men
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advocating for each other through telling their own experiences. When the program starts its
important to ask a few questions to start or stimulate conversation, but the student running the
program should not be doing all the speaking. Only once conversation is started between the
men in the room about their assaults or experiences, should a more serious outline be discussed.
The program will again take place in the Memorial Union late at night. Most likely
around 6:00 or 7:00 pm to avoid conflict with other activities. Also, this program will be held
twice a week to provide the opportunity for everyone to come and allow a variety of faces for
everyone involved.
Through the use of design thinking, good research, and an informative interview this
study and program brought to life many strengths and weaknesses at URI. URI’s strengths are
definitely in the shear number of resources offered. There are countless places for and individual
to go to in order to get help or to find someone to talk to. But, with that strength also comes a
large weakness. The fact that none of these resources are specific to males or catered to males in
any way. With a program like this one it could greatly impact the wellbeing of countless college
age males on college campuses. URI could greatly benefit from this program and make the
campus feel that much safer for males and females alike.
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Appendix 1
Contact
Contact name: Cory Clark
Position: Assistant Director
Group/Organization: University of Rhode Island Counseling Center
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Appendix 2
What resources are there for sexual assault on campus?
Of these how many are geared towards women?
How many geared towards men?
How many women on on average report sexual assault on campus?
How many men?
Do you feel there are enough resources for men?
Do you feel a program that meet twice a week for just males could work?
What would you discuss in such a program?
Are there enough resources on campus for sexually assaulted males?
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References
Sexual Assault of Men and Boys. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexualassaultmenandboys

The 1 in 6 Statistic Sexual Abuse and Assault of Boys and Men. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://1in6.org/getinformation/the1in6statistic

Writers, S. (2018, May 15). Realities of Sexual Assault on Campus. Retrieved from
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/preventingsexualassault/

For Male Survivors of Sexual Assault. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://counselingcenter.utk.edu/selfhelpmaterials/formalesurvivorsofsexualassault/

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