Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF SEXUAL AGGRESSION, cilt.30, sa.3, ss.409-426, 2024 (SSCI)
The aim of this study is to examine college students' views on sexual harassment and assault. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 135 students (51.1% of women and 48.9% of men) from a state university in Turkey. Participants ages ranged from 18 to 27 (M = 21.69 years, SD = 2.49). Findings obtained from the content analysis show that the participants were not able to define sexual harassment and assault accurately and that their definitions included stereotypes regarding sexual harassment and assault. Other findings of the study show that participants had low awareness of online sexual harassment and did not have enough information about appropriate reporting avenues. According to these findings, there is a need for comprehensive prevention and education initiatives to raise awareness of this issue among Turkish college students.Practice impact statementEmerging adulthood (ages 18-24) is a particularly risky time for perpetration of sexual violence. This study draws attention to need for awareness raising among Turkish college students of the nature and risks for sexual violence. It is also important for professionals working with college students and university administrators to have in-depth information on students' experiences of sexual assault, and preferred reporting avenues, to ensure there are tailored interventions and responses to support victims.