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Unsafe in the Ivory Tower
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Unsafe in the Ivory Tower
The Sexual Victimization of College Women



November 2009 | 248 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

An unprecedented look at college women's risks of and experiences with sexual victimization

Unsafe in the Ivory Tower examines the nature and dimensions of a salient social problem—the sexual victimization of female college students today, and how women respond when they are, in fact, sexually victimized. The authors discuss the research that scholars have conducted to illuminate the origins and extent of this controversial issue as well as what can be done to prevent it. Students and other interested readers learn about the nature of victimization while simultaneously gaining an understanding of the ways in which criminologists, victimologists, and social scientists conduct research that informs theory and policy debates.

Key Features

  • Provides detailed information about sexual victimization on college campuses today
  • Introduces broad lessons about the interactions of ideology, science and methodology, and public policy
  • Integrates current data, research, and theory, based on the authors' national studies of more than 8,000 randomly selected female college students

Intended Audience

This supplemental text is ideal for courses such as Sex Crimes, Violence and Abuse, Victimology, Gender and Crime, Sociology of Violence, Sociology of Women, and the Sociology of Sex and Gender in departments of criminology, criminal justice, sociology, and women's studies. It is also useful for those involved in studying or creating public policy related to this issue and for those interested in sexual victimization on campuses generally.


 
1. The Discovery of Sexual Victimization
Beyond Real Rape

 
Sexual Victimization in Context

 
The Hidden Figure of Rape

 
Specially Designed Victimization Surveys

 
Koss’s Sexual Experiences Survey

 
One in Four: Publicizing the Rape Epidemic

 
Two Critiques

 
What’s Ahead

 
 
2. Beyond the Culture Wars: The Measurement of Sexual Victimization
The National Crime Victimization Survey

 
How the NCVS Measures Victimization

 
The First Step in Measuring Sexual Victimization: The NCVS Screen Questions

 
The Second Step in Measuring Sexual Victimization: The NCVS Incident Report

 
Measuring Sexual Victimization: The Next Generation

 
The National Women’s Study

 
The National Violence Against Women Survey

 
The National College Women’s Sexual Victimization Study

 
Revisiting the Koss-Gilbert Debate

 
Comparing Two Studies

 
Conclusion

 
 
3. The Risk of Rape: Unsafe in the Ivory Tower?
Coming to College as a Rape Victim

 
Rape During the College Years: Koss Revisited

 
The National College Women’s Sexual Victimization Study

 
Is College a Risk Factor?

 
Forms of Rape

 
The Role of Drugs and Alcohol

 
Conclusion

 
 
4. Beyond Rape: The Pervasiveness of Sexual Victimization
Moving Beyond the Study of Rape

 
Categorizing Sexual Victimization

 
Sexual Coercion

 
Unwanted Sexual Contact

 
Non-Contact Sexual Abuse

 
Conclusion

 
 
5. It Happened Again: Sexual Revictimization
Crime Revictimization

 
Sexual Revictimization

 
Sexual Revictimization Among College Women: The NCWSV Study

 
Why Does Sexual Revictimization Occur?

 
Findings from the NCWSV Study

 
Conclusion

 
 
6. Victim Secrets: Acknowledging and Reporting Sexual Victimization
Acknowledging Victimization

 
What Do Unacknowledged Victims Call It?

 
Consequences of Acknowledgement

 
Factors Related to Acknowledgement

 
Reporting Sexual Victimization to the Police

 
The Importance of Reporting

 
Why Don’t College Women Report Sexual Victimization?

 
Factors That Influence Reporting

 
Reporting to Other People: Telling Friends

 
Conclusion

 
 
7. Being Pursued: The Stalking of Female Students
Opportunities for Stalking

 
Research on the Extent of Stalking

 
Measuring Stalking in the NCWSV Study

 
The Extent of Stalking

 
The Nature of Stalking

 
Who Is At Risk of Being Stalked?

 
How Do Victims React?

 
Conclusion

 
 
8. Creating Safe Havens: Preventing Sexual Victimization
Two Themes

 
Three Approaches for Preventing Victimization

 
Opportunity-Reduction Approach: Situational Crime Prevention

 
Preventing Stalking

 
Conclusion

 

"Unsafe in the Ivory Tower is a major contribution at multiple levels. It advances the body of knowledge and strengthens the empirical rigor in a vital area of research. The book will also serve as a critical policy resource for colleges and universities who are tasked with providing environments for safe living and learning by our nation’s young women. Its finest contribution, however, will be evidenced in the lives of women across this country whose experience of higher education may be safer and unstained by exposure to sexual violence."

Carol E. Jordan
Center for Research on Violence Against Women

"Based on rigorous survey research that meets the highest scientific standards, this timely book challenges the notion that colleges are "ivory towers" or peaceful sanctuaries from the "real world." Fisher, Daigle, and Cullen make it completely clear that a substantial number of women on college campuses experience serious harms that would fit most states' definitions of felony rape or sexual assault. This book is mandatory reading for anyone seeking a rich, empirically informed understanding of one of society's most compelling social problems."

Walter S. DeKeseredy
University of Ontario Institute of Technology

"Thought provoking....Some of the most comprehensive, evidence-based research on campus violence against women, with a refreshing look at potential strategies. With eye-opening, hard scientific data, this book answers most of the quintessential questions and will no doubt play a pivotal role in future research and prevention."

Amy I. Cass
California State University, Fullerton

Unsafe in the Ivory Tower is truly a comprehensive overview and analysis of sexual victimization. It is theoretically grounded and provides an extensive and critical review of sexual victimization research, both within and beyond the ivory tower.

Amy Brown
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Unsafe in the Ivory Tower is truly a comprehensive overview and analysis of sexual victimization. It is theoretically grounded and provides an extensive and critical review of sexual victimization research, both within and beyond the ivory tower.

Amy L. Brown
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA

"While there is not a lack of books and articles available that discuss sexual victimization, this
particular text provides a valuable contribution to the literature as it focuses on an often ignored victim of this offense."

Catherine D. Marcum
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA

"While there is not a lack of books and articles available that discuss sexual victimization, this
particular text provides a valuable contribution to the literature as it focuses on an often ignored victim of this offense."

Catherine D. Marcum
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA

Too specific a topic for an entire course, but a helpful companion reader.

Dr Susan Long
Psychology Dept, Lake Forest College
March 19, 2013

For instructors

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