Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Integrated Article

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Education

Supervisor

Katreena Scott

Abstract

The current study is a preliminary evaluation of the impact of the Undressing Consent post-secondary sexual violence prevention program on student attitudes and beliefs related to consent, understanding of desires and boundaries, societal gendered sexual scripts, and responding to rejection. A primary goal of the study was to create a reliable measure to be used for future evaluation of changes in student attitudes and beliefs related to core program content. In addition, we evaluated student responses to our newly created scales before and after participation in the intervention and between gendered groups. A total sample of 570 students (women and non-binary students pre-intervention, n =208; post-intervention n = 167) participated. Analysis of newly designed scales showed promising results, with the Sexual Scripts scale having good model fit and reliability for the WNB group. An integrated scale including the Sexual Scripts and Response to Rejection scales for men's data also demonstrated good model fit and adequate reliability. However, scale improvement is required for the measurement of the constructs of Consent and Desires & Boundaries. A small but significant change in beliefs was observed among women and non-binary students but such changes were not observed for men. In scale creation, we experienced issues with restricted range for change, independent and unequal gendered sample sizes, and attrition which limit our ability to make inferences regarding program effectivity. Further work on measurement is required to capture student attitudes and behaviours in preparation for a repeated measures randomized control trial of program efficacy.

Summary for Lay Audience

The current study evaluates how Undressing Consent, a campus sexual violence prevention program, impacts students' beliefs and attitudes about consent, understanding sexual boundaries and desires, media promoted societal expectations around gender and sex, and how to handle rejection. As this is a novel program that approaches sexual violence prevention through a sex positive perspective, the study sought to create valid and reliable tools to measure changes in students' attitudes and beliefs after participating in the program. The program was presented to students in gendered sessions with women and non-binary students attending a separate session form the one attended by men. A group of 570 students from both gendered groups responded to a questionnaire having newly created items, before and following the program. The results showed some positive outcomes, such as improved understanding of societal sexual and gendered expectations for the women and non-binary students (WNB). However, there were several limitations in the study, which emphasize the need to improve the measurement tool in order to better assess consent and boundaries for WNB students. Improved measurement tools are required to understand changes in beliefs for men. Overall, more research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of the program and to improve how it is assessed.

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