Harassment, Abuse, and Violence on the College Campus

Abstract

Students on a college campus in this decade of twenty-first century higher education are faced with numerous challenges. Among them are peer acceptance alongside social, sexual, and emotional development and maturity. This chapter addresses several factors facing college-aged students including the definition and scope of campus-related violence. Within this framework, examined are various forms of campus-related violence, a range of developmental issues faced by college and university level students, and their civil rights as defined by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). In addition, the civil rights of college students are explored as gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and skills development for prevention intervention. Addressed are current evidence-based resources and suggested prevention and interventions addressing violence associated with campus life.