Scholars at the Wellesley Centers for Women have conducted numerous research studies on issues related to gender-based violence, including bullying- and sexual harassment-prevention programs in schools, and patterns of and interventions for intimate partner violence, including family violence and teen dating violence.
Ongoing since 2015
This initiative is designed to conduct and disseminate research that meaningfully addresses the causes and consequences of gender-based violence and the social, health and justice system responses to violent crime and victimization.
Ongoing since 2010
This project examines sexual harassment in K-12 schools over the course of 30 years and identified future directions for research, litigation and school strategies.
2005 - 2015
This project was active from 2005-2007, 2008-2010, and 2011-2015. Shifting Boundaries: A Collaborative Multi-Level Experimental Evaluation The goal of this study was to increase the capacity of schools to prevent Dating Violence/Harassment (DV/H) by evaluating the effectiveness of current multi-level DV/H prevention programming (Shifting Boundaries) in middle schools within a large urban school district.
2014 - 2019
This was a collaborative research project designed to increase knowledge of the criminal prosecution of child sexual abuse cases, the characteristics of cases that go forward to prosecution, and the factors associated with case attrition.
2013 - 2019
This project was a supplement to the Sexual Violence Case Attrition Project with a specific focus to examine in greater detail the impact of sexual assault forensic testing (rape kits) on key decision points and outcomes.
2016 - 2019
This study documented the landscape of U.S. college and university approaches to investigations and adjudication of sexual assault.
2013 - 2019
This study investigated why and when sexual assault cases "fall out" of the criminal justice system.
2011 - 2015
The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of grade-differentiated dating violence and sexual harassment prevention curricula.
Ongoing since 2009
Through this project we will develop and pilot-test a new family court advocacy training curriculum for service providers who work with battered immigrant and minority women. This project is intended to directly affect the lives of battered immigrant women by empowering them with substantive, strategic knowledge.
2009 - 2010
This research project addressed a critical issue by examining the overlap of bullying perpetration/victimization and sexual violence in order to inform sexual violence prevention in US schools.
Completed in 2009
2008 - 2012
Battered women of color often report that they do not receive fair treatment in family courts and that the courts’ insufficiencies can lead to devastating consequences for them and for their children.
2008 - 2013
This project will provide systematic data on court cases involving domestic violence in Massachusetts.
2006 - 2007
This project explored the ways in which states attempt to regulate consensual adolescent sexual behavior through criminal law.
2005 - 2007
This study in Cleveland, OH, area schools was designed to help increase the capacity of programs to prevent sexual violence and harassment. The long-term goal/objective of this study is to help prevent intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and sexual harassment by employing the most rigorous methods to evaluate strategies for altering the violence-supportive attitudes and norms of youth.
2005 - 2007
The Women’s Insights Project was a study that is designed to explore the experiences of African-American women who have survived IPV. Specifically, the purpose is to gain an understanding of the perceived costs and benefits that African American women experiencing intimate partner violence face when they consider seeking help from family, friends, and social institutions.
2000 - 2008
This project worked to examine and counteract the effects of the culture of bullying on children and youth by raising awareness about bullying and by exploring the links between bullying, other forms of aggression, and violence through a combination of research, action, and advocacy.
2000 - 2003
Through this project, researchers examined experiences of sexual harassment in schools even when zero-tolerance policies may exist.
2000 - 2004
This statewide project combines human rights fact-finding, qualitative research, advocacy, and community organizing to document and address the injustices inflicted on battered mothers and their children during family court child custody and visitation litigation.
1998 - 2002
The Centers for Disease Control established this consortium of WCW, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the University of Missouri.
Completed in 1998
This study examined the ways in which physical and/or sexual violence within a family affects the individual, the family unit, and the community. The project focused on prevention programs and policies in order to better understand the varied outcomes of family violence.
1998 - 2004
This longitudinal study examined family violence within the Navy and was designed to help Navy leaders develop their family advocacy program.
1995 - 1999
This project created a collaborative intervention model and curriculum for schools and community-based organizations in order to understand and counter rising rates of rape, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination in school environments.
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