Preventing Violence Against Women: A Web-Based Approach

对妇女的暴力行为是一个严重的公共卫生问题。年轻女性受到不成比例的攻击 这表明需要有效和创新的预防方案。一个新出现的趋势 在对妇女的暴力行为预防领域， 只有在更广泛的背景下，暴力行为才有可能发生， 针对女性的行为发生了。这种环境方法承认，绝大多数年轻人 男子不参与暴力，而是构成了一种文化，在这种文化中，规范性的影响有助于 女性受害。拟议的研究将寻求开发和测试一种创新的预防措施， 旨在通过针对年轻男子并侧重于影响个人， 以及环境的影响。该计划将以实证研究和社会认知为指导 理论，并将纳入社会规范的方法。具体来说，该计划将试图消除 对暴力侵害妇女行为的规范性信念和行为的误解，同时加强知识 以及从事降低女性风险的行为所需的技能。该计划将被改编为一个 基于网络的模式。有两个主要目标（1）从心理、身体和性方面预防 对妇女的虐待行为，以及（2）增加减少暴力侵害妇女风险的“干预”行为 犯罪（例如，当一个同伴对女性进行口头攻击时，表示不赞成;试图阻止一个 试图胁迫/虐待的同伴）。这些主要目标将通过理论上的影响和 经验衍生的调解人，如：纠正误解的规范信念，态度， 行为，增加对性行为知情同意构成要素的了解， 了解攻击的法律的定义，提高沟通技巧，增加对女性的同情 受害者该计划将纳入基于网络的活动，旨在修改这些理论和经验 结构。该计划将通过使用实施的随机对照设计来测试其有效性 在随机抽取的680名男大学生样本中。将评估的研究结局为 对妇女的心理、身体和性侵犯以及干预行为。这些结果 将在基线、干预后和6个月时通过网络访谈进行评估。

Violence against women is a serious public health problem. Young women are disproportionately assaulted or raped by men indicating a need for effective and innovative prevention programs. A newly emerging trend in the violence against women (VAW) prevention field is the design of programs that move beyond targeting individual characteristics only or male perpetrators only by addressing the broader context in which violence against women occurs. This type of environmental approach acknowledges that the vast majority of young men does not engage in violence, but rather comprises a culture where normative influences contribute to the victimization of women. The proposed study will seek to develop and test an innovative prevention program designed to have an impact on VAW by targeting young men and focusing on affecting personal as well as environmental influences. The program will be guided by empirical research and social cognitive theory and will incorporate a social norms approach. Specifically, the program will attempt to dispel misperceptions regarding normative beliefs and behaviors related to VAW while enhancing the knowledge and skills necessary for engaging in behaviors that reduce risk for women. The program will be adapted for a Web-based modality. There are two primary goals (1) to prevent psychologically, physically, and sexually abusive behaviors toward women, and (2) to increase the "intervening" behaviors that reduce risk for VAW perpetration (e.g., express disapproval when a peer is verbally disparaging toward women; attempt to stop a peer who tries to be coercive/abusive). These primary goals will be achieved by affecting theoretically and empirically derived mediators such as: correcting misperceptions in normative beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, increasing knowledge of the elements constituting informed consent to have sex, increasing knowledge of legal definitions of assault, enhancing communication skills, and increasing empathy for female victims. The program will incorporate web-based activities designed to modify these theoretical and empirical constructs. The program will be tested for its efficacy by using a randomized controlled design implemented among a randomly selected sample of 680 male college students. Study outcomes to be assessed will be the psychological, physical, and sexual perpetration of women and intervening behaviors. These outcomes will be assessed via web-administered interviews at baseline, postintervention, and at 6 months.