Hometown: Holly Springs, NC

Year in School: Sophomore

Major: Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Forensic Anthropology

Project Abstract:

Approximately 1 in 5 college women experience sexual victimization during their time on campus (Krebs, 2007), and 2/3 of women who have been sexually victimized may be re-victimized (Classen, 2005). This study investigated the relationship between primary caregiver ideology and an individual’s views on gender roles and attitudes regarding sexual behavior, through the lens of emphasized femininity (EF), and the correlation between those results and rates of sexual victimization. The research used a mixed-methods approach and includes responses from 817 female WCU student participants as well as a quantitative survey exploring primary caregiver (PC) attitudes, sex education, measures of EF, and sexual victimization, as well as 10 WCU student interviews exploring toxic gender roles and norms on campus.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tasha Youstin, Criminology and Criminal Justice