Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus

Hirsch (sociomedical sciences) and Khan (sociology, both Columbia Univ.) draw upon a five-year collaborative project, the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT), in order to investigate multiple forms of sexual assault on campus and identify their varied causes. Alcohol is a major element in many assaults, along with unequal power relationships related to age, gender, race, and economic resources. The authors explain the key concept of sexual citizenship, which enables young people to articulate their sexual needs and recognize that right for others. Colleges can support these efforts, they maintain, but parents, schools, and communities need to teach people to take responsibility for their autonomy, along with areas of personal development. This book offers a rich collection of student experiences drawn from extensive interviews, focus groups, and hundreds of hours observing student parties and interactions, all analyzed with care and references to academic research.