Prevention Program Cuts Sexual Misconduct by Nearly 50%

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sexual assault awareness and prevention is an important public health issue affecting young adults across the United States, especially those in civilian colleges and service academies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three women and one in four men experience sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes.

To address this issue, researchers at National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) conducted one of the most rigorous studies testing a primary prevention approach to sexual assault and harassment at a US service academy. The study found that an adapted version of prevention program called LifeSkills Training (LST) can cut sexual acts without consent by nearly half.

Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, developer of the LST program and president of NHPA, presented the new findings last month at a two-day conference held at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. The conference, called the National Discussion on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at America's Colleges, Universities and Service Academies was co-hosted by the secretaries of the Navy, Army, and Air Force, brought together leaders and subject matter experts to better understand and address the challenge of eliminating sexual assault and sexual harassment on college, university, and military service academy campuses across the nation.

"The adaptation of LST to the problem of sexual assault and harassment is a major leap forward in addressing this important problem in a more positive, holistic way," said Dr. Botvin, Professor Emeritus at Cornell University's Weill Medical College. "LST is an evidence-based prevention approach based on over 30 years of research proving it to be effective in reducing substance abuse, violence, and delinquency."

As part of a panel presenting the results of prevention studies, Dr. Botvin shared the findings of a study testing an adapted version of LifeSkills Training called CHiPS (Cadet Health and Personal Skills) with incoming cadets at the US Air Force Academy. Results indicated that the new prevention program cut sexual acts without consent by nearly half (4.4% versus 7.4%), when comparing cadets who participated in the program with those who did not.

According to Dr. Botvin, "the extension of LST to the problem of sexual assault and harassment builds on progress we've made in the field of prevention science and represents an exciting advance concerning how we approach this important public health problem. Rather than lecturing cadets on what not to do, this innovative new approach emphasizes the mastery of important life skills in order to enhance resilience and promote healthy personal relationships." 

About National Health Promotion Associates
Established in 1985, National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) is a dynamic health and wellness firm located in White Plains, New York. Dedicated to promoting behavioral health, NHPA focuses on developing, evaluating, and providing training to educators and health professionals on a range of health and wellness programs. An area of particular interest relates to the prevention of health risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults, including substance abuse, violence, bullying, and sexual violence.

SOURCE National Health Promotion Associates