Health consequences resulting from sexual assault and violence in college students

Background: The American College Health Association (ACHA) recognizes sexual violence as a serious campus and public health issue. This presentation examines the health consequences associated with sexual assault as reported by a sample of college men and women. Methods; The sample was gathered from three different colleges/universities (n=1980). Human subjects' approval on all three campuses was obtained. Data was collected via e-mail and by paper and pencil methods. SPSS 20 was used to analyze the data. Findings: Health consequences related to sexual violence were investigated. The physical health consequences examined were: sexually transmitted diseases, physical reactions, trouble falling and staying asleep. The psychological consequences examined were: anger and irritability, inability to concentrate, bad dreams and the inability to share strong feelings. All of the identified consequences were found to be significantly related to sexual assault. Conclusions: Because sexual assault often goes unreported, the identification of these health consequences will assist both health services and the counseling centers to identify and treat students who may be struggling with the aftermath of sexual assault. In addition, it is important for college health and counseling programs to be proactive in the development and implementation of prevention programs that focus on sexual assault/violence starting at freshman orientation and continuing through graduation. Findings from this study may also be used to institute sexual violence prevention programs on campuses in the U.S. and in the global community.