Major
Psychology
Second Major
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Advisor
Weiss, Nicole H.
Advisor Department
Psychology
Date
5-2020
Keywords
sexual assault; eating disturbances; risky behaviors; gender
Abstract
The Department of Justice (2019) has defined sexual assault (SA) as any act deemed sexual and nonconsensual in nature, including when an individual does not have the capacity to give consent. A majority of the research has focused on female victims of SA, which leaves a gap in the literature on the effects it has on males. There is not much known about the consequences of SA for male victims. Preliminary findings have found some men to be at higher risk of developing eating disorders symptoms. A possible explanation for this is that elevated shame associated with the SA may influence men to regulate their eating as a form of coping. SA is also a highly underreported crime among all populations, especially males, therefore, the number of male victims could be higher than what is currently known, which highlights the importance of furthering research into this population. My background in psychology and criminology/criminal justice has exposed me to the importance of this issue. The goal of this project was to further explore gender differences in the prevalence of SA as well as the relation between SA and eating disturbance as a function of gender. An online survey was created and administered through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, a reliable online database that recruits members of the community to voluntarily complete research surveys for compensation. To be eligible for this study, participants had to be a) over 18 years of age, b) residing in North America, c) English speaking, and d) having experienced any type of unwanted sexual contact. The survey assessed for SA (using the Sexual Experiences Survey) and disorder eating behavior (using the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire). Additional measures were added to assess for demographics and other possible negative consequences of SA (e.g., substance use, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, suicidality). This experience has provided me with valuable skills that make me a more marketable job candidate and graduate school applicant, including conceptualizing my own research project, gaining Institutional Review Board approval for conducting research, administering a survey, and conducting analyses. I aim to continue this research at the graduate level. Additionally, I hope the findings of this study illuminate some of the issues that exist among this vulnerable population and inform community and clinical professionals to take more proactive steps towards addressing these issues.