We Need Olivia Benson: College Student and Employee Perspectives on Norms and Beliefs About Sexual Violence

Rape culture in higher education is a term used to describe an environment in which sexual violence is accepted or tolerated as part of campus life. Prior exploration of rape culture has largely focused on sexual violence among and against students, although limited work has examined perspectives of university employees. This qualitative study sought to further identify cultural norms and beliefs in college settings which college students and employees suggest increase or reduce the risk of sexual violence on campus. In addition, the current study expands prior work by including perspectives from multiple stakeholders in the campus community: students, faculty, and staff. Our analysis included four focus groups (total N = 35, including 17 students and 18 faculty and staff) from one university in the Northeastern United States. Each group had 2 facilitators, 8 to 10 participants, and lasted approximately 1 hr. Audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. Three main themes and several subthemes were identified: cultural risk factors for sexual violence (substance use, misogyny, dismissal/silence, institutional indifference), expanding accountability (bringing perpetrators to justice, holding individuals and institutions tasked with stopping sexual violence accountable, and holding peers liable for their behavior), and stigma reduction (activism and clear disclosure channels for community members). Findings have implications for future research and for prevention and response efforts around sexual violence on higher education campuses. This work highlights the role of all types of community members in shaping campus culture and specific strategies that may contribute to the demolition of rape culture.