Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Brett Sokolow <>]

The two data sets seem to have been taken 15 years apart, as well.  

Regards, 

Brett A. Sokolow

Brett A. Sokolow, Esq.
Attorney-at-Law

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From: <Avakian>, Seth <>
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 10:43 AM
To: "" <>
Subject: New Study Challending Lisak's Serial Offender Research

Hi Everybody,

 

Can someone help me better understand the new study (highlighted in today’s Chronicle) that challenges Lisak’s research?

I am concerned that campus administrators, faculty, or MRA folk are going to lock onto the headline, not understand what was actually studied, and use it to challenge some of the good work we are doing.

 

While I see several methodological challenges with the questions used (only measuring completed rape, using the FBI definition) it seems like there are larger issues in the data.Specifically, in the discussion section it states “Standard self-report measures ask participants to respond affirmatively to each tactic used (eg, force or victim incapacitation) but do not ascertain whether these tactics were used in a single incident or different incidents. Thus, a limitation of this study and others is an inability to state whether multiple rape acts reported at a single assessment were perpetrated within 1 or more assaults.”

 

So, are the authors stating that they don’t actually measure the number of rapes that these men report perpetrating? Would that not be fundamental to trying to understand if there are serial rapists on campus?

 

It also appears that the authors are conducting their central analysis by measuring if a male reports raping someone year-to-year. While it would be helpful to know if serial rapists commit rape over several years or if they are more likely to commit rape in a concentrated period of time, that is not what’s most important about Lisak’s research – that a small percent of men commit rape multiple times. The authors do not appear to challenge that finding.

 

Finally, it seems to me that the most important take-away from this research is that there are a significant minority of men (7.7%) who report committing rape while in college. Why isn’t that the headline?

 

Best,

Seth Avakian, Ph.D.

Education Specialist for Graduate and Professional Schools,

Office of Sexual Assault Prevention & Response (OSAPR)

Department of Health Promotion & Education | Harvard University Health Services

(617.496.6347|8osapr.harvard.edu |-837 Smith Campus Center, Cambridge, MA 02138

24 hour Support & Information Hotline: 617-495-9100 | OSAPR Office Phone: 617-496-5636

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