ASSAULT PREVENTION AS SOCIAL-CONTROL - WOMEN AND SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION ON URBAN COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Sexual assault on U.S.A. college campuses is increasingly recognized a s an urgent and pervasive national problem. To prevent assault, school administrators and individual women promote and adopt safety strategi es that often compromise women's free and independent use of the campu s environment. Such strategies may fail to correspond to the actual na ture of sexual assault on campus. Based on open-ended interviews with college personnel and women students, this study examines sexual assau lt and personal crime prevention strategies at two midwestern, urban u niversities. School and individual strategies are characterized accord ing to type, goals, and orientation. Findings explore the relationship of strategies to sexual assault on campus, and implications of strate gies for women's use of public space. Conclusions suggest means to inc rease real safety while enhancing women's freedom and mobility on and near campus. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited