Rochester Institute of Technology

New IDEAS to Prevent Violence Against Women

Project Description

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is the 15th largest private institution of higher education in the United States, and is located in Rochester, New York. RIT has a total population of 15,160. Nine percent of RIT's students Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing; 10.8% are International, and 12.3% are ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, and Native American). Sixty-six percent of RIT's students are male, and 34% female.

The project, titled "New IDEAS to Prevent Violence against Women," has the following goals:

  1. Establish a comprehensive educational program targeting the entire RIT community, based on social norms theory and male peer-support theory;
  2. Enhance campus and community programs serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (HOH) women;
  3. Enhance prevention programs for International students and ALANA students; and
  4. Focus on technology as a tool used for committing, and potentially, preventing crimes against women.

Project Funding Source

  • United States Department of Justice
  • Rochester Institute of Technology Women's Center; and
  • The National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology

Project Objective

To reduce misperceptions about attitudes that support violence against women.

Baseline Data

A baseline survey was administered in the spring of 2000 to 954 students in 50 randomly selected RIT courses. The survey incorporated questions from the College Date Rape Attitudes and Behavior Survey (Lanier et al., 1997), the Discomfort with Sexism Scale (Kilmartin et al., 1999) assessing students' level of comfort with sexist situations and their perceptions of other students' level of comfort with sexist situations, and measures from the National College Health Assessment survey for actual and perceived levels of sexual activity.

The survey results indicated that students' overestimated the frequency of sexual activity among their peers, underestimated the incidence of behaviors that would reduce the risk of sexual assault, and overestimated the acceptance of rape myths.

Interestingly, differences were found between men and women related to misperceptions about rape myths but not for other variables, such as the prevalence of protective behaviors or the frequency of sexual behaviors. While women only slightly underestimated other women's adherence to rape myths the gap between perceptions and actual attitudes was greater for men. For example, 92% of women responded that they disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, "If a woman dresses in a sexy dress, she is asking for sex" but only 82% felt that most or almost all RIT women would disagree with that statement. In contrast, 83% of men responded that they disagreed or strongly disagreed with the same statement but only 51% thought that most or almost all RIT men would disagree.

In the category of incidence of protective behaviors, i.e. those that reduce the risk of sexual assault, no significant gender differences were found. Individuals who responded "always" or "most of the time" to the statements: "I stop sexual activity when asked to even if I am already sexually aroused," and "When I want to touch someone sexually I try and see how he or she reacts" were classified as exhibiting protective behaviors, as were those who responded "never" or "rarely" to the statements: "I have sex when I am intoxicated" and "I have sex when my partner is intoxicated."

While there were no significant gender differences among these measures, there were, as one might expect, large gaps between students' reported attitudes and their perceptions of their peers for these protective behaviors.

Sample Normative Messages

This social norms marketing campaign chose the statement:

  • "Most (92%) of RIT students stop the first time their date says 'no' to sexual activity."
All demographic categories were similar, in terms of their own responses to this statement, as well as the underestimation of their peers' for this behavior. Initially, consideration was given to addressing misperceptions about rape myths in our media campaign. However, because there was only a small perception gap for women this could have only been done for men, a strategy that project staff did not think would work on the RIT campus, which has a student population that is 65% male. In addition, it was felt that focusing only on men would increase men's defensiveness, and ultimately contribute to a divisive climate. In contrast, it was felt that a message about respect and consent would be more favorably received by the entire campus community.

Marketing Methods Employed

This project's social norms approach to violence against women incorporates a variety of strategies, emphasizing community norms regarding protective behaviors and students' perceptions of the unacceptability of violence developed and implemented in collaboration with student leadership, who help interpret the data, conduct focus groups and test media messages.

These strategies include:
  • A social norms marketing campaign especially targeted to first-year students, with the message mentioned above;
  • A skit for use in New Student Orientation, which was presented in a way to emphasize healthy norms;
  • Training workshops for student leaders, utilizing a Small-Groups Norms-Challenging Intervention (Far 2002); and
  • Men Against Violence group visibility efforts focused on presenting a healthier model of masculinity and raising awareness about violence against women.

The marketing campaign included posters and mugs distributed to all first-year students; stadium cups, coffee mugs, and wallets given to all first-year students, as well as at major student events, including a rock concert and homecoming basketball game; and t-shirts that were given to all first-year students. Many of these materials were also distributed at an outdoor dance party held the first weekend of classes, which attracted over 750 students.

This project is currently piloting a program, modeled very loosely on Hobart and William Smith's "factoids" programs, which uses a pop-up window on certain RIT websites that circulate social norms messages, as well as messages about the college.

Evaluation

A post-test survey was administered this spring, and data from this will be analyzed in summer 2002. In the interim, focus groups have been conducted, as well as a survey of 151 random students walking through the Student Union, asking about their exposure to and understanding of the message. In that survey, 63% responded that they had seen the message; 88% reported that the message was easy to understand. When asked what they think the message means, most students (94%) indicated that they understood, writing statements such as:

  • "No means no."
  • "Don't force someone into something they don't want."
  • "It means that more people are responsible than most think."
  • "It means if you say 'no' it means no and 92% of RIT students who have said no had their partner stop, and it's okay and respectable to say no."
  • "It means that both girls and guys should respect the other's decisions about having sex or not."
  • "It means that 92% of people in relationships respect each other and that you should be comfortable saying no to sex."
  • "That if your partner wants sex, you don't necessarily have to say yes."
  • "it means that an incredible majority of students respect their partners."
  • "Sex is not as prevalent as one may think, guys are not as evil as popular belief."

Three percent of respondents said it means that "8% of RIT students are rapists." Another 3% said it doesn't mean anything to them because they don't think about it or, or because it's a "bad design."

Project Director

Julie A. White
Women's Center
Rochester Institute of Technology
Student Alumni Union A450/452
Rochester, N.Y., 14623

Tel 585-475-7464
Email [email protected]

Further Information

A web site is under development.

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The National Social Norms Resource Center
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