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Over the past several years, increased attention from administrators, faculty, student advocates, survivors, and researchers has illuminated the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses. The Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) Study found that approximately 19% of women were sexually assaulted during their enrollment in college (Krebs, Lindquist, Warner, Fisher, & Martin, 2007). Another study examining sexual assault and sexual misconduct on 27 college campuses found that 23.6% of female undergraduate students experienced nonconsensual sexual contact while enrolled at their university (Cantor et al., 2015). Further, given underreporting, these numbers may underestimate the incidence of sexual assault (Sinozich & Langton, 2014).
Sexual assault survivors experience an array of physical and mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, weight change, sleep problems, and a host of other traumatic reactions (Black et al., 2011), and these effects are often experienced over the long term (see Bordere, 2017). The impact of sexual assault can disrupt, or even end, college for survivors (White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault, 2014). Cultural norms that hold victims accountable for sexual violence and allow for drinking to be used as an excuse for violence create a campus climate that negatively impacts the educational experience for many women (Buchwald, Fletcher, & Roth, 1993; Jordan, Combs, & Smith 2014). Rape culture is often...