Memorable messages in campus sexual assault prevention

Abstract

This study examines the memorable messages retained by first-year Ball State University students who went through Think About It, an online sexual assault prevention training. A cross-section of first-year students were interviewed and iterative thematic analysis was used to develop themes in response to the research questions. The results suggest that memorable messages can impact individuals’ sense of identity during their socialization to a new university setting. The results also demonstrate the elements of online training design that can help motivate students to complete it. The findings of this study provide practical implications for improving campus sexual assault prevention training not only to comply with federal mandates, but also to better address student needs.