Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs About Sexual Violence and Prevention Programming Implementation: Survey of Faculty...

Nearly 18% of university women globally experience sexual violence. Efforts to prevent sexual violence on college campuses are rare in low- and middle-income countries. Leader and faculty engagement in prevention efforts is critical, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where resources are limited, and sociocultural norms may support sexual violence. The authors present findings from the first multiuniversity faculty climate survey across Vietnam that assessed knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about sexual violence and perceptions about acceptability and feasibility of prevention programming.

A total of 2,343 of 3,441 faculty (68%) at 7 universities completed the baseline survey of an implementation prevention trial. Faculty reported on demographics; knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about sexual violence; and perceptions of the feasibility and acceptability of implementing sexual violence prevention programming. Analyses present descriptives for knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, overall and by demographics. Multivariable regression was performed to explore the predictors of faculty perceptions of feasibility and acceptability of program implementation.

Faculty did not believe that sexual violence was rare or problematic at their university. They tended to endorse rape myths about perpetrators (e.g., "rape happens when a guy gets out of control"), and beliefs supporting the need for sexual consent were moderate. Faculty reported positive campus climate for victims of sexual violence and believed that sexual violence programming was acceptable and feasible. Female and younger faculty generally had more progressive mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs measures. Perceived leader support for a positive campus climate around sexual violence was the strongest predictor of perceived feasibility and acceptability of sexual violence prevention programming.

Faculty perceived sexual violence prevention programming to be feasible and acceptable, and these perceptions were strongly related to university leadership's support for a positive campus climate around sexual violence. Cultivating visible and consistent leadership support for sexual violence prevention appears to be crucial to fostering faculty buy-in and enhancing prevention efforts at universities in Vietnam.