Drawing on the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) at Columbia University, the most comprehensive study of sexual assault on a campus to date, Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan present an entirely new framework that emphasizes sexual assault’s social roots—transcending current debates about consent, predators in a 'hunting ground,' and the dangers of hooking up.
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 ... A readable and thought-provoking work on a topic of concern on college campuses. The SHIFT project generated many academic publications, but this book successfully reaches a general audience, specifically students, parents, and policymakers.
Taking into account gender, sexuality, and race, Hirsch and Khan do an excellent job of exploring the complexities of sexual assault and how to make campuses safer for all students.
Hirsch and Khan make a strong case that solutions to campus sexual assault must involve educating students about their right to sexual autonomy, and the right of others to the same. This detailed, practical inquiry should be mandatory reading for college administrators and parents of college-age children.
