Co-creating change: design thinking approaches to sexual violence prevention in higher education

Abstract

Sexual assault is a deeply rooted issue on American college campuses. The purpose of this study was to examine the systems that enable a culture of sexual assault and then enact an action step that strengthened the institutional strategies for preventing these incidents on campus. This qualitative action research study took place at a mid-sized public institution in the Northeastern United States, consisting of two cycles of research. Cycle 1 served as a baseline data collection about the problem at the research site through semi-structured interviews with staff members and students. Informed by the Cycle 1 findings, Cycle 2 implemented an action step using a "design thinking" approach to achieve transformation through action in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students to co-create innovative solutions for sexual violence prevention. Cycle 2 data was collected via the design thinking workshops and a follow-up focus group. Design thinking workshops were effective in shifting participants' knowledge about the problem and generated hundreds of ideas for prevention initiatives that were informed by research. The findings of this study identified three themes in creating an effective prevention strategy for this institution: 1) the need for top-down investment, 2) the importance of educating students on the nuances of sexual violence, and 3) providing contextually relevant doses of prevention.