Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking and Sexual Violence Among Non-College Attending Emerging Adults: Exploring the Prevalence of the Problem and Utilization of Victim Services

The proposed research seeks to (1) identify the prevalence of intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual violence among non-college-attending emerging adults and (2) explore the use of formal and informal help seeking and formal services among these victims. Since little is known about these types of violence and use of services among this population, the proposed study can generate a much-needed foundational understanding about the types of violence experienced, specific services used, and accessibility of services. The findings obtained can inform researchers in developing future studies and service providers in better assisting these victims. Most of what is known about the 18- to 25-year-old emerging adult population concerns victimization of college students and policies aimed at campus-level prevention and services. This focus ignores an estimated 40% of emerging adults who do not attend college and may be at greater risk for experiencing violence than their collegiate peers. Studying victim services is important generally in the context of these forms of violence given their long-lasting mental and physical harms. Work focused on non-college-attending emerging adults is particularly needed given the influence positive and negative experiences with victim services may have on addressing immediate needs as well as future decisions to seek support and use victim services.

Two main sets of research questions shape this exploratory study. One concerns the prevalence of intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual violence among non-college-attending emerging adults. The second concerns the use of informal and formal help seeking and formal victim services including the helpfulness of particular contacts and barriers to formal services. To answer these questions, this project will use the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (General Population). Planned analyses include descriptive statistics, conjunctive analysis of case configuration, and multivariate models.

The expected products include those requested under this solicitation (such as archiving requisite materials and providing a draft and final summary overview report). Scholarly products also will focus on a set of peer-reviewed journal articles that will examine help seeking and formal victim services associated with non-college-attending emerging adults in the context of specific forms of violence and a policy-oriented article on satisfaction with help seeking and barriers to formal services. A specific goal of this project is to ensure the findings obtained are accessible to victim service providers. To accomplish this aim, a dissemination plan will be generated and implemented with assistance from the National Center for Victims of Crime.

This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.

ca/ncf