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This study examined how group composition influences students' level of satisfaction with a dating violence and sexual assault prevention program. A 10-to 12-session program was presented to 396 urban African American middle school students in mixedand same-gender groups. Both males and females were significantly more satisfied with the mixed-gender program than the same-gender program; females in both programs were significantly more satisfied than the males in both programs. Students especially liked the class activities, discussion, and teacher involvement in the program. The study findings support the importance of taking group composition and gender into consideration, as well as, students' reactions and recommendations when developing prevention programs for young adolescents.

This research reports the findings of an evaluation of a peer-facilitated, bystander sexual violence prevention program to determine its effectiveness at changing attitudes and behaviors related to sexual violence with university males who are at low- and high-risk of using sexually coercive behavior. Bystander interventions focus on men and women as bystanders to change social norms in a peer culture that supports abusive behaviors. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of these interventions with high-risk populations, which is the focus of this study. A bystander sexual violence prevention program was presented to 142 fraternity members. A quasi-experimental design utilizing pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys was used to compare the effectiveness of this prevention program with university males who are at low- and high-risk of using sexually coercive behavior in intervention and comparison groups. Participants' risk status was measured prior to the intervention using the Modified-Sexual Experiences Survey. The measures evaluated changes in attitudes (rape myth acceptance and bystander attitudes) and behaviors (sexually coercive behaviors, sexually coercive behavioral intentions, and bystander behaviors). Data analyses included Repeated-Measures Analysis of Covariances. The findings suggest that a bystander sexual violence prevention program has a positive impact on attitudes and behaviors related to sexual violence among fraternity members, however, the program had less impact on high-risk males. The results of this study will expand our ability to design programs that can have an impact on reducing sexual violence on campus by ensuring the programs are having the desired impact on the target audience.

This exploratory study examined middle school students’ (N = 380) help-seeking behaviors and other reactions to controlling behaviors in their dating relationships. Over three-fourths of the participants perpetrated and were victimized by controlling behaviors in their dating relationships. Youth used emotional/verbal and dominance/isolation forms of controlling behaviors. More youth were victimized by dominance/isolation controlling behaviors than emotional/verbal controlling behaviors. Gender and age differences emerged when evaluating the type of controlling behaviors youth used. The majority of youth were willing to seek help when confronted with various types of controlling behaviors in their dating relationships. Gender and age differences also emerged in youth’s reactions to controlling behaviors. More understanding of youth’s reactions to controlling behaviors in their dating relationships may assist prevention educators in intervening before controlling behaviors in dating relationships turn into actual dating violence.

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