Community Assessment and Intervention Alignment to Reduce Incidence of Female-to-Female Non-Intimate Partner Violence
Creators: name: Baker, Hannah
name: Hayward, Elizabeth
name: Redmond, Nakeva
name: Jean-Baptiste, Jimmy
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: Significance: According to the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR), 14 undergraduate female students were sanctioned for participating in non-intimate partner violence incidents during the fall semester of 2011, some involving deadly weapons. NCCU administrators and staff identified a marked increase in incidents of undergraduate female-to-female non-intimate partner violence (FTFNIPV) within the last five years. FTFNIPV among college women is an area of public health with increasing importance but remains an area about which little is known. Consequences of FTFNIPV include injury and disrupted academic settings, and may include psychological and behavioral problems that negatively impact school performance, increased risk of depression, and may lead to future violent behaviors. Ultimately these long-term consequences have implications for health status and quality of life. Prior to the 2012-2013 academic year, the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs tasked the Director of the Women's Center with creating an initiative to address the increased levels of violence, at which time she sought out and formed a partnership with UNC's School of Public Health Capstone program to do just that. Project Deliverables: Using a women-centered approach, this project intended to help NCCU add to a campus climate that encourages respect for self, others and community. Starting with a literature review, the NCCU Capstone team researched violence among female students occurring at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). Though little data pertaining to FTFNIPV exists for this target population, we were able to corroborate increasing incidents of FTFNIPV at NCCU to national trends of violence. We completed a community social norms assessment to demonstrate the significance of the problem of FTFNIPV on NCCU's campus and to identify opportunities for intervention. Using anecdotal information from NCCU stakeholders as our guide, we developed our primary research questions, a focus group guide, and an individual interview guide. We then conducted six focus groups and five individual interviews with both female and male students on campus. Next, using the qualitative data, we created a community social norms and attitudinal questionnaire using both previously validated and originally developed items. The survey assessed attitudes towards and perceptions of using violence as a means to manage conflict. After compiling and analyzing the data, we wrote and distributed an Executive Summary to campus administrators, which outlined our findings and recommendations for intervention. Additionally, we used the formative research findings to develop a program plan outlining a campus-wide intervention to address the problem of FTFNIPV on NCCU's campus. Broader Implications: This project significantly impacted Capstone team members as well as the partner organization. The Capstone team was able to provide intervention recommendations based on exploratory data rather than anecdotal evidence. This project could initiate a cultural shift on campus that discourages interpersonal violence and encourages healthy conflict management. This will add to the already rich and engaging academic experience that NCCU provides for its students. The formative research completed by the Capstone team contributes to current literature related to aggression among racial/ethnic minority women, of which there is little. Because our target population shared unique social experiences that shaped their attitudes and perceptions of violence, we anticipate our formative research will be useful to other HBCU's or similar communities that experience comparable problems with violence among women.