From March 2020 to September 2021, undergraduate college and university students across the nation were forced to practice remote learning and put their social lives on pause in the midst of distancing and masking mandates of the COVID-19 pandemic. As students return to campus following more than one year of online courses and extremely limited in-person social interaction, there is both excitement and concern. Statistics suggest that more than half of all sexual assaults among
college students occur during the first term of the year, and the fall of 2021 welcomed not
one, but two sets of classes (i.e., freshmen and sophomore) who are living on campus for the first
time. Combined with returning juniors and seniors who missed a year of in-person education, it is unknown how UCLA students will behave after a prolonged period of limited social interaction. Worries surrounding the potential for exacerbated rates of sexual violence on campus are amplified by the fact that the new academic year began amidst the Trump administration’s continued Title IX environment, which diminished protections for survivors of violence on college campuses. Members of the Greek life community have a higher chance of both committing and experiencing acts of sexual violence compared to their peers. A lack of comprehensive programming on sexual violence within UCLA’s Greek system, combined with the return of risk factors like increased alcohol use and party culture, necessitates action and attention. As concerned UCLA students and faculty, we are committed to ensuring all members of the Bruin community come together to discuss campus safety and develop acceptable, evidence-based solutions for sexual violence as we return to campus and resume in-person learning. We propose a 9-month student-led, implementation science study to identify strategies for developing accessible and equitable approaches that can be rapidly implemented to prevent sexual violence and promote students’ health and well-being across UCLA, with a focus on the Greek system.
college students occur during the first term of the year, and the fall of 2021 welcomed not
one, but two sets of classes (i.e., freshmen and sophomore) who are living on campus for the first
time. Combined with returning juniors and seniors who missed a year of in-person education, it is unknown how UCLA students will behave after a prolonged period of limited social interaction. Worries surrounding the potential for exacerbated rates of sexual violence on campus are amplified by the fact that the new academic year began amidst the Trump administration’s continued Title IX environment, which diminished protections for survivors of violence on college campuses. Members of the Greek life community have a higher chance of both committing and experiencing acts of sexual violence compared to their peers. A lack of comprehensive programming on sexual violence within UCLA’s Greek system, combined with the return of risk factors like increased alcohol use and party culture, necessitates action and attention. As concerned UCLA students and faculty, we are committed to ensuring all members of the Bruin community come together to discuss campus safety and develop acceptable, evidence-based solutions for sexual violence as we return to campus and resume in-person learning. We propose a 9-month student-led, implementation science study to identify strategies for developing accessible and equitable approaches that can be rapidly implemented to prevent sexual violence and promote students’ health and well-being across UCLA, with a focus on the Greek system.