Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6257-7804

Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Communication Studies

Committee Chair

Daniel S. Totzkay

Committee Co-Chair

Christine E. Kunkle

Committee Member

Christine E. Kunkle

Committee Member

Danielle M. Davidov

Committee Member

Lindsay Morris-Neuberger

Abstract

The beginning of college campus life is one of the most exciting phases of student life. However, for some students, it might pose a threat in the form of sexual violence. In the United States, sexual violence is highly pervasive, placing college students at a greater risk of victimization. Currently, there is a lack of data on sexual crimes within the international student population on U.S. college campuses due to cultural and language barriers. As such, the purpose of this study is to explore international students’ communication needs around the topic of sexual consent and sexual violence. This vulnerable and high-risk population was recruited via a pre-survey screening tool for focus group discussions around sexual violence and sexual consent. Specifically, international students participated in a screening pre-survey (N= 46) and focus group (N= 40) (n = 5; nWomen = 3, nMen = 2) that asked general questions related to the video and the topic of sexual assault and sexual consent. The results of the qualitative study suggest that participants recognize the importance of campus sexual assault (CSA) on college campuses; however, religious and cultural practices prohibit premarital sexual activities and view public discussions of sex as taboo. Participants acknowledged that learning bystander behaviors is crucial for protective measures in a future instance of sexual assault; however, women participants preferred a more comprehensive and robust training in terms of clear and explicit resources that were relevant outside the U.S. college partying scene. Additionally, both male and female participants recognized CSA as a sensitive topic that is easier to talk about and openly discuss within the U.S. compared to their country of origin. Moreover, based on their understanding and perceptions of the sexual violence and sexual consent, participants emphasized the importance of educational training in this topic to instruct on U.S. norms and bystander behaviors. Because the current sexual violence training is not relevant, in terms of the exemplar scenario, to this population, a need for better and more diverse scenarios is necessary, especially to promote safety and preventative measures among international students. Further, not all participants recalled receiving sexual educational training, which provides insights that either this education program is not mandated or violence and sexual consent distributed to all international students, or the training is not memorable to them. The results of this study are a starting point for the necessary process of detailed formative evaluation. Doing so ensures international students are adequately served and provided with effective content. Recommendations for how to approach this problem are provided to address the current issue of CSA on U.S. college campuses among international students.

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