Integrating Alcohol and Cannabis Risk Reduction Into Sexual Assault Resistance Programming: Findings From a Pilot of...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Use Research
• Violence Prevention

Background:

• Sexual assault (SA) affects one in five college women.
• Feminist scholarship advocates for empowering programs to enhance women's SA recognition and resistance skills.
• The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act SA Resistance Education Program (EAAA) has previously demonstrated reduced SA rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of an integrated EAAA program.
• The adapted program (EAAA+) specifically targets risky alcohol and cannabis use, known SA risk factors.
• To assess the usability and potential improvements for the integrated program.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 14 college women (aged 18-24) reporting heavy alcohol and/or cannabis use.
• Participants engaged in an adapted EAAA program with enhanced alcohol and cannabis content.
• Data collection included baseline and post-program assessments, alongside acceptability measures.

Main Results:

• Women rated the EAAA+ program highly on likability, quality, relevance, and usefulness.
• High overall acceptability and usability ratings were reported.
• Qualitative feedback suggested a desire for even more integrated alcohol and cannabis content.

Conclusions:

• The adapted EAAA+ program content is acceptable to the target population of college women.
• Preliminary findings indicate promising pre-post changes in alcohol, cannabis, and SA-related outcomes.
• The integrated approach warrants further investigation for SA prevention efforts.