Supporting Sexual Violence Prevention and Response for Student-Athletes: Exploring Successes and Challenges Within Division I Athletic Programs

Athletic settings may influence both risk and protective factors for sexual violence (SV) and provide opportunities to advance prevention and response. The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of higher education personnel involved in SV prevention and response with college student-athletes. We conducted semistructured interviews with participants at four public universities with National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletic programs. Using inductive thematic analysis, we distilled key themes: athletic culture and how it interacts with prevention and response; athletic department strengths; and challenges. Athletic departments and institutions should educate and train athletic personnel to facilitate effective prevention and response.