BUILDING ON WHAT WE KNOW (AND DON’T!): USING SCHOLARSHIP TO ENGAGE IN PRIMARY PREVENTION OF DATING AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Oct 15, 2026

Manuscript applying Reason and Kimball’s (2012) Theory to Practice Model to describe experience building a Center focused on primary prevention of dating and sexual violence (DSV) among college students. It details the working context, processes used to recruit a broad campus community, and initial outcomes. The paper explains how interdisciplinary scholarship and four prevention-oriented working groups help shift campus culture through education and research, offering recommendations for campus leaders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention

Manuscript focus and approach

Interdisciplinary scholarship and working groups

Shifting campus culture through education and research

BUILDING ON WHAT WE KNOW (AND DON’T!): USING SCHOLARSHIP TO ENGAGE IN PRIMARY PREVENTION OF DATING AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS Chris Linder Brian Burton University of Utah University of Utah Brittany Badger Gleed Matthew Phister University of Utah University of Utah Jessie Richards University of Utah Abstract In this manuscript, we use Reason and Kimball’s (2012) Theory to Practice Model to illustrate our experience building a Center dedicated to addressing dating and sexual violence among college students. We provide details of the context in which we work, highlight the processes we engaged in to recruit a broad swath of campus community members to engage in our collective work, and describe some initial outcomes of our work. We conclude with recommendations for campus leaders wishing to explore theory to practice in the context of addressing dating and sexual violence among college students. Please direct inquires about this manuscript to: Chris Linder, [chris.linder@utah.edu](chris.linder@utah.edu) College Student Affairs Journal, Volume 40(2), pp.115-128 ISSN 2381-2338 Copyright 2022 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 116 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 40, No. 2, 2022 push educators to engage in reflection to improve their strategies for addressing DSV. We do this within the institutional context in which we exist, highlighting the many factors at play in eradicating DSV among college students. In this manuscript, we will highlight the use of interdisciplinary scholarship to engage the campus community in efforts to eliminate DSV among college students. Specifically, we use Reason and Kimball’s (2012) model of theory-to-practice (TtP) to consider the roles of formal and informal theory and institutional context to organize and lead four working groups focused on various aspects of preventing DSV. Specifically, we highlight our strategies for shifting campus culture through education and research. The efforts we describe here do not look like typical student affairs programs in that they do not focus on awareness-raising or reaching a significant number of people at once. Instead, we focus on shifting culture by providing scholarship to interested campus community members and creating space for them to make sense of it, shifting their perspectives about DSV, and returning to their communities to create change. Throughout the manuscript, we use the terms“we” and “our” when we describe our own experiences engaging in the efforts of the Center. As described here, each of us participates in integral ways in both the Center and the larger campus community. Chris serves as the founder and inaugural director of the Center and a faculty member in the College of Education who studies dating and sexual violence among college students and student activism. Prior to becoming faculty, Chris worked as a victim-survivor advocate for 10 years, much of that time on a college campus. Jessie is an Assistant Professor/Lecturer in the Eccles School of Business. She is on the Advisory Board of the Center and runs a non-profit dedicated to helping domestic abuse victim/survivors access safe and stable housing. Matthew serves as the Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL), primarily advising the Interfraternity Council, the governing body for men’s fraternities. He also Building on What We Know serves as co-chair for the Engaging Men’s working group and a member of the Shifting the Culture through Education working group. Brittany is the Director of the Center for Student Wellness which provides prevention and wellness education for a variety of collegiate wellness concerns (e.g., violence prevention, sexual health, mental wellness, authentic masculinity) and is also the home for the campus’ confidential Victim-Survivor Advocacy program. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Center. Brian has served as the

FAQs

What framework guides the manuscript’s approach to primary prevention?

The manuscript uses Reason and Kimball’s (2012) Theory to Practice Model to organize and describe the Center’s work and its prevention efforts.

How does the Center aim to change campus culture without traditional awareness programs?

Rather than focusing only on awareness-raising or reaching large numbers at once, the Center provides scholarship to interested campus members, creates space for sense-making, and supports their return to communities to drive change.

Why does the manuscript emphasize primary prevention over secondary and tertiary prevention?

The paper explains that primary prevention seeks to prevent violence before it occurs, while secondary and tertiary measures are already well-established on campus; therefore, the Center specifically focuses on primary work.

Oct 15, 2026

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