Overview

In 2015, a survey of more than 150,000 students revealed that over 20% of female undergraduates experienced “sexual conduct involving physical force or incapacitation” since starting college.1 Administrators, safety officers, and counselors are all acutely aware that campus sexual assault is a serious problem today. This issue has also captured the general public’s attention. Campus sexual assault is a focus of the media, including social media. On two recent consecutive Sundays, the New York Times published articles on the topic: a book review of Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power and Consent on Campus on September 17th and an Op-Ed piece entitled At the Frat House, Lessons About Rape on September 24th. Social media is exploding with personal stories of harassment and assault (e.g., #MeToo, #YesAllWomen, #NotOkay). Organizations that share the goal of ending sexual violence include End Rape on Campus (www.endrapeoncampus.org), founded in 2013 by survivors of campus sexual assault, and It’s On Us (www.itsonus.org), which was launched by then-President Obama in 2014 and works with students on over 500 college campuses. The Hunting Ground, a documentary about campus sexual assault, was nominated for two Emmy® Awards last year. Lady Gaga performed her song from the film - “Til It Happens to You” - at the awards ceremony. Fewer than 28% of college students who have been sexually assaulted report the incident to campus authorities or the police.1 Do they tell their parents? If so, how do family members react? Combining compassion with clinical expertise, Dr. Susan B. Sorenson set out to find the answers to these questions. After Campus Sexual Assault is the result of Dr. Sorenson’s interviews with nearly 50 victims and their families as well as campus administrators. Quoting liberally from the interviews, this powerful book sheds light on how young women cope with sexual violence and how their loved ones may help the healing process. Obviously, efforts to reduce sexual assault on campus are important. Perhaps less obvious, but equally significant, is the need to give a voice to those who have been victimized. After Campus Sexual Assault provides a unique platform for vulnerable victims as well as a critical source of information for their friends and families.

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9781538117729

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Reviews

Although the general public has come to understand the prevalence of sexual assault in recent years, most still don't think it will impact them or their families. This leaves people unprepared and ill equipped to support those they love after a sexual assault. Dr. Sorenson's exploration of the experiences of young women sexually assaulted on college campuses and their process of disclosing it to their parents, gives readers a glimpse into how social structures, family dynamics, and common misconceptions all complicate their journey. The candid and often hard to read accounts of assault that students bravely shared, along with their personal process of coming to define and understand their experience, provide rare insight into the nuances of how sexual assault impacts young people. As both a parent and a long-time educator on sexual violence, I found myself simultaneously cringing at parents' flawed responses while also empathizing with their well-intentioned and unaware efforts. As Sorenson points out, parents should recognize the honor in being told such a traumatic life event that is still clouded with misplaced social stigma and shame, and should approach their role with the care and compassion it deserves. These families shared their deeply personal and painful stories so that we can all do better. It's a book that was written to help parents deal with the aftermath of a child's assault on campus, but knowing just how many young people are impacted by sexual assault, I'd recommend it as an educational tool for anyone who wants to emotionally support their children through their college years.--Jess Mertz, MA, Executive Director, Clery Foundation Dealing with the aftermath of sexual violence can be entirely overwhelming. This book is a wonderful resource for parents and families of survivors navigating those difficult waters. From powerful first person accounts, to shedding light on the complex services and processes available to survivors, this book is an essential guide for survivors and their families. Sorenson shows how parents and families, along with college administrators and staff, can work together to support survivors and begin the process of healing.--Allison Tombros Korman, MHS, Senior Director, Culture of Respect, NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education It is past time for a book like this, a book that supports families and victims/survivors of sexual assault. I remember receiving a call from a dear friend as I was on my way to work early one morning. We talked for a few minutes, and I knew something was wrong. The timing of the call was off, the tone of her voice was off. I finally asked, What is wrong? What has happened? She told me her daughter had been raped while studying abroad. We cried together. We, she, needed this book, a text that supports examining the role of the family, parental relationships, university systems and healing. Thank you, Dr. Susan Sorenson for connecting your brilliant life's work to the needs of the people you study. Thank you, for taking care of the victims and survivors of sexual assault. Thank you for writing, After Campus Sexual Assault, a book that supports families on their healing journey.--Monique Howard, MPH, EdD, Executive Director, WOAR-Philadelphia Center for Sexual Violence Sorenson provides a valuable tool to support an important group that has not been given enough attention: the parents of college students who have been sexually assaulted. The book provides essential insights for parents who are a necessary voice in our efforts to prevent sexual violence.--David S. Lee, MPH, Director of Prevention, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault Sorenson's After Campus Sexual Assault thoughtfully and delicately captures the difficult decision-making process college girls go through when choosing whether or not to disclose their campus sexual assault to their parents. It simultaneously gives unprecedented space to explore the nuanced reactions of parents who learn about their child's assault--ranging from anger to grief to reluctant acceptance. In a nation where one in five girls will experience sexual assault during their college career, the book is a much needed resource for both young women who are deciding whether to disclose their survivorship to their parents and for parents who are struggling with learning about their daughter's sexual assault.--Tracey E. Vitchers, MA, Executive Director, It's On Us This is an amazing book. I always have felt the absence of a book like this among the various memoirs and first-person narratives of sexual assault survivors telling their stories. After Campus Sexual Assault: A Guide for Parents is a need-to-read for mothers sending their daughters off to college and for those still dealing with the aftermath of campus sexual assault. Telling is a choice and when that choice is made to share the secret of the lived experience of being victimized through sexual violence, many doors to healing open. This ground-breaking book brings together research about sexual assault and personal narratives of survivors and their parents in a sensitive and intimate way. It provides a deep look inside the issue and within the families impacted. The book should be included in the parent orientation kit at every college and university.--Patricia Occhiuzzo Giggans, MNA, Executive Director, Peace Over Violence, coauthor of What Parents Need To Know About Dating Violence and When Dating Becomes Dangerous

Although the general public has come to understand the prevalence of sexual assault in recent years, most still don't think it will impact them or their families. This leaves people unprepared and ill equipped to support those they love after a sexual assault. Dr. Sorenson's exploration of the experiences of young women sexually assaulted on college campuses and their process of disclosing it to their parents, gives readers a glimpse into how social structures, family dynamics, and common misconceptions all complicate their journey. The candid and often hard to read accounts of assault that students bravely shared, along with their personal process of coming to define and understand their experience, provide rare insight into the nuances of how sexual assault impacts young people. As both a parent and a long-time educator on sexual violence, I found myself simultaneously cringing at parents' flawed responses while also empathizing with their well-intentioned and unaware efforts. As Sorenson points out, parents should recognize the honor in being told such a traumatic life event that is still clouded with misplaced social stigma and shame, and should approach their role with the care and compassion it deserves. These families shared their deeply personal and painful stories so that we can all do better. It's a book that was written to help parents deal with the aftermath of a child's assault on campus, but knowing just how many young people are impacted by sexual assault, I'd recommend it as an educational tool for anyone who wants to emotionally support their children through their college years.--Jessica Mertz, MA, Executive Director, Clery Center Dealing with the aftermath of sexual violence can be entirely overwhelming. This book is a wonderful resource for parents and families of survivors navigating those difficult waters. From powerful first person accounts, to shedding light on the complex services and processes available to survivors, this book is an essential guide for survivors and their families. Sorenson shows how parents and families, along with college administrators and staff, can work together to support survivors and begin the process of healing.--Allison Tombros Korman, MHS, Senior Director, Culture of Respect, NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education It is past time for a book like this, a book that supports families and victims/survivors of sexual assault. I remember receiving a call from a dear friend as I was on my way to work early one morning. We talked for a few minutes, and I knew something was wrong. The timing of the call was off, the tone of her voice was off. I finally asked, What is wrong? What has happened? She told me her daughter had been raped while studying abroad. We cried together. We, she, needed this book, a text that supports examining the role of the family, parental relationships, university systems and healing. Thank you, Dr. Susan Sorenson for connecting your brilliant life's work to the needs of the people you study. Thank you, for taking care of the victims and survivors of sexual assault. Thank you for writing, After Campus Sexual Assault, a book that supports families on their healing journey.--Monique Howard, MPH, EdD, Executive Director, WOAR-Philadelphia Center for Sexual Violence Sorenson provides a valuable tool to support an important group that has not been given enough attention: the parents of college students who have been sexually assaulted. The book provides essential insights for parents who are a necessary voice in our efforts to prevent sexual violence.--David S. Lee, MPH, Director of Prevention, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault Sorenson's After Campus Sexual Assault thoughtfully and delicately captures the difficult decision-making process college girls go through when choosing whether or not to disclose their campus sexual assault to their parents. It simultaneously gives unprecedented space to explore the nuanced reactions of parents who learn about their child's assault--ranging from anger to grief to reluctant acceptance. In a nation where one in five girls will experience sexual assault during their college career, the book is a much needed resource for both young women who are deciding whether to disclose their survivorship to their parents and for parents who are struggling with learning about their daughter's sexual assault.--Tracey E. Vitchers, MA, Executive Director, It's On Us This is an amazing book. I always have felt the absence of a book like this among the various memoirs and first-person narratives of sexual assault survivors telling their stories. After Campus Sexual Assault: A Guide for Parents is a need-to-read for mothers sending their daughters off to college and for those still dealing with the aftermath of campus sexual assault. Telling is a choice and when that choice is made to share the secret of the lived experience of being victimized through sexual violence, many doors to healing open. This ground-breaking book brings together research about sexual assault and personal narratives of survivors and their parents in a sensitive and intimate way. It provides a deep look inside the issue and within the families impacted. The book should be included in the parent orientation kit at every college and university.--Patricia Occhiuzzo Giggans, MNA, Executive Director, Peace Over Violence, coauthor of What Parents Need To Know About Dating Violence and When Dating Becomes Dangerous

Author Information

Susan B. Sorenson, PhD, public health researcher and clinical psychologist, is a Professor of Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Her career—teaching, research, policy, and clinical work—has focused on violence and its prevention.

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