Preliminary Feasibility and Acceptability of a Culturally Specific Intervention for Reducing Sexual Revictimization of College Women.

Abstract

Objective: More than 30% of women who experience sexual assault (SA) during college experience sexual revictimization (SRV) prior to graduating. Current SA interventions have been developed with predominantly White samples and most do not focus on reducing SRV or include effective alcohol reduction techniques. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a new intervention designed to reduce SRV in Black and White college women.

Method: A sample of 59 women (n = 43, White; n = 16, Black) were randomly assigned to either the intervention or time and attention control condition. Both conditions consisted of two, 90-minute in-person group sessions and two, 30-minute online self-administered learning units. During the intervention, participants watched culturally specific videos (e.g., created in partnership with the cultural group, culturally congruent with regard to race of actors, vernacular, dress, and social situations) embedded with SA risk cues. Women participated in discussions designed to improve risk recognition and assertive responding to SA threat. All groups were racially homogeneous with same race facilitators. Online intervention units included alcohol reduction strategies (e.g., personalized normative feedback) and safe dating practices.

Results: Acceptability and feasibility of the intervention were good and suggested that cultural specificity was important for Black women. However, attrition was higher than expected and barriers to participating were noted for Black women.

Conclusions: These preliminary findings highlight the potential importance as well as the challenges in developing culturally specific SA interventions for college women.