Sexual Violence Prevention Programs Evaluated by Johns Hopkins in CDC Study

Bowie State Activities Assessed for Creating Safe Campus Environments

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile   

(BOWIE, Md.) – Health and wellness professionals from Bowie State University are working with Johns Hopkins University to evaluate the effectiveness of BSU programs designed to prevent sexual violence on campus, as part of a three-year Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) study.

Staff from Bowie State’s Henry Wise Wellness Center have developed Rape Prevention & Education (RPE) programming, based on the best practice models from the CDC, which also provides technical and financial support to RPE sites. In the study, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will conduct the evaluation of RPE programming at Maryland’s first historically Black college and university (HBCU), in collaboration with professionals from the Maryland Department of Health and Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.  

The study will focus on developing more evidence to support implementing sexual violence prevention strategies, especially on college campuses. Hot spot mapping – asking students to identify areas of the campus where they feel unsafe – is one specific strategy that Bowie State is using to engage students in helping the university to make physical improvements to the campus to improve safety.

“This is a great opportunity to not only do the work of sexual violence prevention, but to also involve students in it,” said Isha Taylor-Kamara, Bowie State health educator from the Partners in Peace Program, which implements domestic and sexual violence prevention activities through the Wellness Center. “Since I first joined the Wellness Center, the comment that I have heard the most from students is, ‘It can’t happen at an HBCU.’ These Rape Prevention & Education programs help to change the conversation because sexual violence can happen to anybody.”

The study’s principal investigator, Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Michele Decker, explains that the award is particularly exciting in its ability to build the evidence base in real-time. “Hot Spot Mapping is rapidly gaining popularity and has caught the attention of practitioners as a community-engaged strategy for enduring change. As innovative programming is developed, it is critical to build the evidence base on how, where, and for what types of sexual violence it can be most impactful. We are thrilled to have CDC support for our interdisciplinary, academic-practitioner partnership to expand the evidence base for sexual violence prevention.”

Lisae C. Jordan, Esq., executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, agrees that the study’s finding will help demonstrate the effectiveness of hot spot mapping. “MCASA is committed to ending sexual assault in Maryland and pleased to move forward with this partnership on campuses across the state. By using hotspot mapping approaches, we have the opportunity to reduce the number of college students who experience sexual violence and contribute to best practices in the field.”

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.