Date Approved

5-2-2022

Graduate Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Education-Higher Education (M.Ed.)

Degree Program

College of Education

First Advisor

Dr. Blockett

Academic Year

2021/2022

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to understand the importance of trauma-informed care practices on college campuses for sexual assault survivors. The empirical research surrounding institutions implementation of trauma-informed care practices for sexual assault survivors discusses the prevalence of individuals who have experienced trauma, the importance of trauma-informed care education, and the need to utilize community resources. These findings determine the need for trauma-informed care practices as well as important tools for implementation. In order to improve institutions implementation of trauma-informed care practices for sexual assault survivors, much of the research suggests increased professional development dedicated to becoming informed on the topic for university faculty, staff, and students. The project proposed in this research involves training modules and speakers regarding to topic to be completed by students, staff, and faculty at regular interval. This is an important issue because 20-25% of college students are sexually assaulted during their time in college (Mellins et al., 2017) and Eisenberg et al. (2016) determined in their study that colleges with high levels of sexual assault resources positively impact survivors’ feelings of well-being and recovery outcomes. This initiative will also benefit students who are dealing with other forms of trauma as well—Davidson (2017) notes that the research indicates that approximately fifty percent of “college students are exposed to a [potentially traumatizing events] in the first year of college” (, p. 5).

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