Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research |
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• The unacceptably high rates of sexual violence (SV) in the United States underscore the need for effective primary prevention. |
• K-12 Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), following the National Sexuality Education Standards (NSES), shows promise as a solution to SV perpetration, but has not been rigorously evaluated with sexually violent behavior as an outcome. |
• Researchers and practitioners should begin developing and testing CSE curricula that follow the NSES and adhere to the characteristics of effective prevention in order to reduce SV perpetration. |
• States have considerable autonomy to implement these programs. |
• Any comprehensive approach to stopping SV should include college-level programs, but rates of pre-college assault, the early emergence of risk factors for perpetration, life-course theory, and the proportion of the population that does not attend higher education all underline that higher education should not be the first interaction that adolescents and young adults have with SV prevention interventions. |