Gotowa bibliografia na temat „Childhood sexual assault”

The researchers assessed the predictors of victim–perpetrator relationship stability following a sexual assault. Participants included 254 women sexually assaulted by a friend, casual dating partner, or steady dating partner. Results suggested that most victim–perpetrator relationships (75%) continued following the sexual assault. Greater trauma symptomatology, less perpetrator blame, and nondisclosure of the assault by victims predicted relationship continuation with the perpetrator. Additionally, the odds of continuing the relationship were greater following acts of sexual coercion than following acts of completed rape. Close relationships (steady dating partner) were more likely to continue following the sexual assault than less close relationships (friends and casual dating partners). Unexpectedly, the odds of relationship stability were greater for women without histories of childhood sexual abuse than women with histories of childhood sexual abuse. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

This study used a large community sample of women sexual assault survivors to prospectively assess 17 theorized predictors across four types of sexual assault revictimization: unwanted contact, coercion, substance-involved assault (SIA), and force. Results indicated that predictors varied across types of revictimization: Unwanted contact and coercion appeared more common in social contexts more hostile toward survivors, whereas forcible assaults and SIAs occurred in circumstances where survivors were vulnerable to being targeted by perpetrators. Overall, the strongest predictors were social environments hostile to survivors, race, childhood sexual abuse, decreased refusal assertiveness, and having more sexual partners. We discuss implications for intervention and research.

This essay examines a staged production of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland reimagined through the lens of childhood sexual assault. Primarily, it serves as a pedagogical case study of theoretical and practical approaches for conceptualizing, staging, and reflecting on performance as activism. Incorporating the director’s/author’s own voice, alongside that of the cast, it creates the possibility for understanding sexual assault and theatrical creation with greater nuance and urgency, while also illustrating the work of directing in the same light as critical performative pedagogy.

BackgroundSexual assault is a global concern with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the common sequelae. Early intervention can help prevent PTSD, making identification of those at high risk for the disorder a priority. Lack of representative sampling of both sexual assault survivors and sexual assaults in prior studies might have reduced the ability to develop accurate prediction models for early identification of high-risk sexual assault survivors.MethodsData come from 12 face-to-face, cross-sectional surveys of community-dwelling adults conducted in 11 countries. Analysis was based on the data from the 411 women from these surveys for whom sexual assault was the randomly selected lifetime traumatic event (TE). Seven classes of predictors were assessed: socio-demographics, characteristics of the assault, the respondent's retrospective perception that she could have prevented the assault, other prior lifetime TEs, exposure to childhood family adversities and prior mental disorders.ResultsPrevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) PTSD associated with randomly selected sexual assaults was 20.2%. PTSD was more common for repeated than single-occurrence victimization and positively associated with prior TEs and childhood adversities. Respondent's perception that she could have prevented the assault interacted with history of mental disorder such that it reduced odds of PTSD, but only among women without prior disorders (odds ratio 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.1–0.9). The final model estimated that 40.3% of women with PTSD would be found among the 10% with the highest predicted risk.ConclusionsWhether counterfactual preventability cognitions are adaptive may depend on mental health history. Predictive modelling may be useful in targeting high-risk women for preventive interventions.

This study examined correlates of past-year chronic medical conditions and lifetime contact with health care professionals for mental health and substance abuse problems in women with differing histories of sexual victimization ( N = 627) identified from the National Comorbidity Survey (e.g., assault in childhood, adulthood, or both life phases). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and stressful life events were associated with greater odds of chronic medical conditions among women sexually assaulted in childhood only. Additional traumatic events were associated with greater odds of chronic medical conditions among victims of adult sexual assault. Older age and being married were associated with greater odds of lifetime health care professional contact for mental health/substance abuse issues among certain victim subgroups. Stressful life events were related to greater help-seeking for child victims, and traumatic events were related to greater help-seeking in adult victims. Alcohol dependence symptoms and PTSD were each associated with greater odds of lifetime health care professional contact among women victimized in both life phases, whereas depression was related to greater odds of help-seeking for women victimized in one life phase only. Psychosocial factors may play unique roles in health outcomes for women with different sexual assault histories.

Despite consistent high rates of campus sexual assault, little research has examined effective strategies to decrease sexual assault victimization. Sexual assault and drinking protective behavioral strategies (PBS) may be important means of reducing sexual assault victimization risk on college campuses but need further examination. The current study examined the relationship among sexual assault in childhood, before college, and since college to evaluate the mitigating roles of both sexual assault PBS and drinking PBS on sexual assault victimization. Participants ( n = 620) were undergraduate women, 18 to 20 years old. The current study was a cross-sectional online survey assessing participants’ sexual assault PBS and sexual assault history. Sexual assault history was positively associated with future sexual assault experiences. Pre-college sexual assault was associated with increased since-college sexual assault and increased drinks per week. Since-college adolescent/adult sexual assault was associated with less use of sexual assault PBS. These findings suggest that PBS may have an important role in sexual assault victimization and future research should examine their usefulness in risk reduction programs for college women.

Data from an online community sample of young men were analyzed to test predictors of sexual assault perpetration. We used structural equation modeling to test the relative contributions of specific sub-types of childhood adversity to subsequent sexual aggression. Mediators included hostile masculinity, impersonal sexual behavior and attitudes, and substance use variables. Findings suggested that childhood sexual abuse had direct and mediated effects on sexual assault perpetration, but hostile masculinity was the only proximal factor significantly related to aggression. Childhood polytrauma was also associated with increased perpetration risk, suggesting that prevention efforts may be aided by increased attention to childhood maltreatment.

Objective Extant studies indicate that just one characteristic of sexual assault cannot properly represent the whole experience of sexual assault and, especially, the severity of sexual assault. This study aimed to understand the totality of sexual assault experiences and elucidate subtypes of sexual assault victims based on the detailed characteristics of their sexual assault experiences and those relationships with mental health.Methods A total of 255 adult sexual violence victims who used intervention services and a comparison group were included. Information on their sexual assault experiences was gleaned from case records data.Results The following four distinctive profile groups were identified: “Sexual Touching” (19.6%), “Rape/Social Relation” (30.4%), “Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)” (18.8%), and “Rape/Stranger” (31.3%). The subgroups differed in terms of secondary victimization and adverse childhood experiences. The Rape/Social Relation and IPV subgroups most frequently experienced secondary victimization and childhood adversity. The four profile subgroups demonstrated different relationships with mental health outcomes, with a complicated pattern. The Rap/Social Relation and IPV subgroups scored higher on mental health problem screening measures compared to other groups. However, a considerable proportion of victims in the Sexual Touching subgroup also reported suicidal behaviors and self-injury.Conclusion Based on the results, theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

The acquisition of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is a significant complication of sexual assault of children. The risk of infection by pathogens varies from less than 1 to 50% depending on the nature of the assault, the organism studied and the background prevalence of STD in the general community. The correct diagnosis of STD in children depends upon optimal collection and appropriate laboratory testing of clinical specimens. Diagnosing STD will allow for treatment and follow-up to ensure cure of these infections as well as to monitor for re-infection. It will also help confirm that sexual activity involving the child has occurred. This can be exi.remely important, particularly when there are minimal other physical findings of abuse or if the child has limited verbal skills and thus cannot provide a complete disclosure. All physicians who care for children should be knowledgeable about the methods of STD diagnosis and the currently recommended treatment regimens.

Childhood sexual assault (CSA) refers to a sexual act that is imposed on a child or adolescent who lacks the emotional capacity, maturity, and cognitive development to understand what they are engaging in, and is incapable or unwilling to give consent. Many individuals who experience CSA also experience adult sexual assault, such as rape. To date, there is limited research that has examined early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and CSA, and no research that examines the relationship between CSA, EMS, and revictimization. The present study examined EMS as mediators of revictimization and mental health outcomes (i.e., depression and PTSD) among 263 college women who experienced CSA. Participants completed the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES-LFV; Koss et al., 2007) which assesses victimization and perpetration of unwanted sexual experiences, the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-SF: Young, 1998) to measure early maladaptive schemas, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist 5, a brief self-report instrument consisting of 20 items that reflect the symptoms of PTSD outlined in DSM-5, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-R; Radloff, 1977) is a brief self-report instrument used to measure symptoms of depression. As hypothesized, CSA was positively correlated with revictimization. CSA was correlated with EMS, specifically, emotional deprivation, mistrust/abuse, social isolation, defectiveness/shame, and self-sacrifice, but not abandonment. Surprisingly, EMS did not mediate the relationship between CSA and revictimization. EMS mediated the relationship between CSA and mental health outcomes, such as, depression and PTSD. EMS social isolation mediated the relationship between CSA and depression symptoms and EMS mistrust/abuse, social isolation, and self-sacrifice mediates the relationship between CSA and PTSD. In conclusion, our findings could be used to further investigate what appropriate early childhood interventions could possibly be used to address and treat early maladaptive schemas.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2005.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Sept. 12, 2006). Advisor: Stevan E. Hobfoll. Keywords: child abuse; HIV; sexual risk; high-risk behaviors; PTSD; sexual assault; rape. Includes survey instrument. Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-47).

This thesis examines the construction of healing from childhood sexual assault from the perspective of adult women who had been sexually abused in their childhood years. The purpose of the study is to provide a space to hear the stories of rural women, and a forum to allow those stories to be shared with a wider audience. Its focus is on the women’s accounts of how their lives have been shaped by those experiences, what transformation has occurred, what people and processes have helped or hindered their journey and how they construct healing. It aims to develop an understanding of the notion of healing as reported by survivors themselves and does this though an emancipatory methodology underpinned by a critical post-modern framework. This study differs from previous studies in that its focus is specifically on the construction of healing and its participants are all rural women. The qualitative research methodology demonstrated in this thesis maintained a focus on the women’s narratives. It employed a unique method – a ten week discussion group in which the women chose the issues to be examined. The presentation of the data, maintains the commitment to the primacy of the women’s accounts. It utilises the themes they decided upon as well as those which emerged from the literature. The constructions of healing, which emerged from the sharing of stories, include healing as a non-linear process where individual strengths and transformation is acknowledged. The thesis argues that healing includes all aspects of survivors’ lives such as their relationships, parenting and engagement with their community. The implication for social work practice is that service provision to assist healing must focus on more than psychological and behavioural effects of childhood sexual assault. The method of collecting the women’s stories also has great potential for social work research because as the thesis argues, while generalisations cannot be made from the findings, the actual method has great value in giving voice to marginalised groups.

碩士
實踐大學
家庭研究與兒童發展學系家庭諮商與輔導碩士班
103
Sexual assault is a widespread violence, in recent years due to the concerns from the government and media coverage, the public in Taiwan began to have more understanding and pay more attention to sexual assault. The survivors of sexual assault have to face not only the fearful events, but also their life be affected by the trauma afterward. Currently most related studies in Taiwan interviewed victims of sexual assault, but this study is a self-narrative of the author's traumatic experience of her childhood sexual assault. The author explores the feelings and experience about her past life process in relationship to the assault. In the first five chapters, the author traced her experience back to her childhood when the assault happened, her teenage years, and her young adulthood. The following ten chapters, the author tried to tell her stories about the impact from her significant others, the environment, and the trauma itself. The ultimate goal of this study hopes to explore in what way the author overcame the traumatic experience, and wish to explore how other survivors can face such painful life experience with better attitude and approach, so that life can turn around and gain a new birth.

"How can I know what I know if I don't know what you have done to my body?" I am a woman victim, survivor, and healer of intimate childhood sexual assault. I remembered these assaults when I was in my early thirties, but did not deal with the assaults, family denial of them, or the emotional, intellectual, physical, sexual and spiritual consequences of the assaults and denial until writing this thesis. My own knowing -- my thinking, confidence, memory, and my sense of being able to speak and contribute to the truths of the world -- has been contaminated by the assaults, the family denial, and my lived consequences of the assaults. In this research, I work to make my silence knowledge through intimate reflective autobiography. First, I explore the literature of intimate assault from the perspective of silence and knowing. Then, I explore the educational literature of women and knowing from the perspective of intimate assault. Then, I relate my crone/ology of making silence knowledge. Then, I testify to my experiences of intimate assault and healing in a series of narrative poems. Finally, I conclude with theoretical frameworks of assault, silence and healing, and with implications for educators' personal action and educational praxis. We are all implicated in the oppression and betrayals of intimate childhood sexual assault. Our silence as assailants, witnesses and victims protects and condones the assaults. When we develop our felt sense of intimate assault, we become knowing witnesses, survivors and healers able to resist intimate assault and other forms of emotional, intellectual, physical, sexual and spiritual abuse and create knowledge based on the truths of women’s experiences. This work of making silence knowledge stretches from individual personal awareness to the content, processes, relationships, structures, and goals of educational institutions. Making silence knowledge is the work of educators committed to naming and resisting women’s oppression and the related oppressions of race, culture, class, age, and sexual orientation within our educational praxis.

This research report examines telephonic and written data from an emergency medical services centre in the Western Cape and seeks to uncover the language practices that speakers use in order to create what I term “extraordinary emergencies”. Since one of the overarching institutional aims of the emergency call centre is that of “preservation of life”, the majority of emergencies are reproduced by emergency call-takers as routine events, specifically for the purpose of managing them most efficiently and thus working towards the institutional aim of preserving life. However, in certain instances, this institutional agenda is temporarily halted or abandoned in favour of a competing agenda, what I have termed the “personal” agenda enacted by the speaker. This personal agenda works to the reproduction of particular norms and values, and speakers are seen as morally accountable for reproducing them. This research report makes use of discursive analytic practices, specifically conversation analysis, as a method by which to highlight subtle and delicate moments in the interaction that recreate the shared value of the “sacred child” in real-time interaction. Keywords: emergency, childhood, sexual assault, conversation analysis, institutions

Sexual violence is a significant problem in the military and civilian communities. Sexual assault is the ultimate violation and causes grievous injuries affecting all aspects of self. The impact of the trauma can linger for many years or, for some, a lifetime, and it can have a devastating effect on a person’s ability to feel safe and engage in intimate relationships, whether sexual or nonsexual. This chapter explores the psychological injuries that occur following the trauma of sexual violence and how that trauma affects a person’s ability to be intimate in relationships. It provides information on the scope of sexual violence, adverse childhood experiences and the military and veteran populations, complex trauma, and the intersection of sexual violence and co-occurring conditions. The chapter also addresses the healing and recovery process and discusses implications for practice related to a trauma-informed approach, risk and danger, screening, assessment, and intervention.

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in persons with HIV is higher than in the general population. Adults with HIV are likely to have experienced traumatic events that place them at risk for developing PTSD. Among women with HIV, PTSD may be more common than depression, suicidality, and substance use. The high prevalence of PTSD is related to increased exposure to traumatic experiences such as physical violence and sexual assault, including intimate partner violence and childhood sexual abuse. The co-occurrence of PTSD and HIV creates complex challenges for both the management of HIV and treatment of PTSD. Individuals with PTSD and HIV experience more rapid illness progression and poorer health-related quality of life, with health-compromising behaviors such as substance use, high-risk sexual behavior, poor utilization of services, and low adherence to antiretroviral therapy. This chapter addresses the complexities of HIV, trauma, and PTSD and recommends trauma-informed care in the treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS.

While the recommendations provided throughout the book are meant to help clinicians work with survivors of sexual assault of various ages and backgrounds, working with some populations requires additional considerations. This chapter provides additional recommendations for working with survivors of sexual assault from various specific populations. In particular, recommendations are given for working with child and adolescent survivors; adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse; male survivors; survivors who identify as gender and sexual minorities; survivors who are Black, indigenous, and people of color; and survivors who are serving or have served in the military. Suggestions are also provided for clinicians who work in educational settings and those who provide group therapy.

At baseline, borderline patients reported higher rates of adult rape and physical assault by a partner than Axis II comparison subjects. Four risk factors were found to significantly predict whether borderline patients had an adult history of being a victim of physical and/or sexual violence before their index admission: female gender, a substance use disorder that began before the age of 18, childhood sexual abuse, and emotional withdrawal by a caretaker (a form of neglect). At six-year and 10-year follow-up, borderline patients reported higher rates of being verbally, emotionally, physically, and sexually abused or assaulted than did Axis II comparison subjects. However, each of these forms of abuse declined significantly over time. The clinical implications of these prevalence and predictive findings are discussed.

As a middle grades teacher, the author made positive student-teacher relationships a priority within her classroom. In this narrative, she describes how sharing her own invisible scars with her students provided an opportunity for one particular student to come to her after this student experienced a sexual assault. By allowing her students a glimpse at her own humanity, this teacher was able to serve as an advocate for a student who was struggling to move forward in dealing with her own trauma.

This chapter outlines the key features of the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. This is a diagnosis that has attracted significant levels of stigma and has generally been viewed as difficult to treat. This has resulted in often inadequate service responses for people experiencing high levels of distress. Increased understanding is facilitated by exploring precipitating factors leading to this diagnosis, including invalidating and often traumatizing environments. Available evidence from Australian and international literature is considered, with main treatments identified to inform improved treatment outcomes. The need for attention to biological, psychological factors is highlighted and in particular acknowledgment of the high prevalence of trauma, particularly childhood sexual assault, amongst the mostly women who are given this diagnosis.

‘Reactions to stressful experiences’ covers emotional and physiological elements of the response to stress and the way in which maladaptive coping patterns and inappropriate defence mechanisms can lead to clinical disorders. Stress reactions are often short-lived and respond to support from friends and family. However, particularly severe stresses can lead to the condition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an important source of morbidity and disability, whose clinical features, psychology, neurobiology, and treatment are described in detail. The chapter also covers adjustment to threatening and traumatic life events, such as childhood abuse, sexual assault in women, the refugee experience, serious physical illness, and bereavement. These events can produce various kinds of adverse psychological consequences over the lifespan, and the chapter shows how these psychiatric sequelae can be recognized, theoretically understood, and best managed according to current evidence-based practice.

Aim/Purpose: This paper provides the results of the preliminary analysis of the findings of an ongoing study that seeks to examine the social media use, cultural and political awareness, civic engagement, issue prioritization, and social activism of Gen Z students enrolled at four different institutional types located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The aim of this study is to look at the group as a whole as well as compare findings across populations. The institutional types under consideration include a mid-sized majority serving or otherwise referred to as a traditionally white institution (TWI) located in a small coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean, a small Historically Black University (HBCU) located in a rural area, a large community college located in a county that is a mixture of rural and suburban and which sits on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and graduating high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs in a large urban area. This exploration is purposed to examine the behaviors and expectations of Gen Z students within a representative American region during a time of tremendous turmoil and civil unrest in the United States. Background: Over 74 million strong, Gen Z makes up almost one-quarter of the U.S. population. They already outnumber any current living generation and are the first true digital natives. Born after 1996 and through 2012, they are known for their short attention spans and heightened ability to multi-task. Raised in the age of the smart phone, they have been tethered to digital devices from a young age with most having the preponderance of their childhood milestones commemorated online. Often called Zoomers, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation and are on track to be the most well-educated generation in history. Gen Zers in the United States have been found in the research to be progressive and pro-government and viewing increasing racial and ethnic diversity as positive change. Finally, they are less likely to hold xenophobic beliefs such as the notion of American exceptionalism and superiority that have been popular with by prior generations. The United States has been in a period of social and civil unrest in recent years with concerns over systematic racism, rampant inequalities, political polarization, xenophobia, police violence, sexual assault and harassment, and the growing epidemic of gun violence. Anxieties stirred by the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded these issues resulting in a powder keg explosion occurring throughout the summer of 2020 and leading well into 2021. As a result, the United States has deteriorated significantly in the Civil Unrest Index falling from 91st to 34th. The vitriol, polarization, protests, murders, and shootings have all occurred during Gen Z’s formative years, and the limited research available indicates that it has shaped their values and political views. Methodology: The Mid-Atlantic region is a portion of the United States that exists as the overlap between the northeastern and southeastern portions of the country. It includes the nation’s capital, as well as large urban centers, small cities, suburbs, and rural enclaves. It is one of the most socially, economically, racially, and culturally diverse parts of the United States and is often referred to as the “typically American region.” An electronic survey was administered to students from 2019 through 2021 attending a high school dual enrollment program, a minority serving institution, a majority serving institution, and a community college all located within the larger mid-Atlantic region. The survey included a combination of multiple response, Likert scaled, dichotomous, open ended, and ordinal questions. It was developed in the Survey Monkey system and reviewed by several content and methodological experts in order to examine bias, vagueness, or potential semantic problems. Finally, the survey was pilot tested prior to implementation in order to explore the efficacy of the research methodology. It was then modified accordingly prior to widespread distribution to potential participants. The surveys were administered to students enrolled in classes taught by the authors all of whom are educators. Participation was voluntary, optional, and anonymous. Over 800 individuals completed the survey with just over 700 usable results, after partial completes and the responses of individuals outside of the 18-24 age range were removed. Findings: Participants in this study overwhelmingly were users of social media. In descending order, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Tik Tok were the most popular social media services reported as being used. When volume of use was considered, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter were the most cited with most participants reporting using Instagram and Snapchat multiple times a day. When asked to select which social media service they would use if forced to choose just one, the number one choice was YouTube followed by Instagram and Snapchat. Additionally, more than half of participants responded that they have uploaded a video to a video sharing site such as YouTube or Tik Tok. When asked about their familiarity with different technologies, participants overwhelmingly responded that they are “very familiar” with smart phones, searching the Web, social media, and email. About half the respondents said that they were “very familiar” with common computer applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite or Google Suite with another third saying that they were “somewhat familiar.” When asked about Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard, Course Compass, Canvas, Edmodo, Moodle, Course Sites, Google Classroom, Mindtap, Schoology, Absorb, D2L, itslearning, Otus, PowerSchool, or WizIQ, only 43% said they were “very familiar” with 31% responding that they were “somewhat familiar.” Finally, about half the students were either “very” or “somewhat” familiar with operating systems such as Windows. A few preferences with respect to technology in the teaching and learning process were explored in the survey. Most students (85%) responded that they want course announcements and reminders sent to their phones, 76% expect their courses to incorporate the use of technology, 71% want their courses to have course websites, and 71% said that they would rather watch a video than read a book chapter. When asked to consider the future, over 81% or respondents reported that technology will play a major role in their future career. Most participants considered themselves “informed” or “well informed” about current events although few considered themselves “very informed” or “well informed” about politics. When asked how they get their news, the most common forum reported for getting news and information about current events and politics was social media with 81% of respondents reporting. Gen Z is known to be an engaged generation and the participants in this study were not an exception. As such, it came as no surprise to discover that, in the past year more than 78% of respondents had educated friends or family about an important social or political issue, about half (48%) had donated to a cause of importance to them, more than a quarter (26%) had participated in a march or rally, and a quarter (26%) had actively boycotted a product or company. Further, about 37% consider themselves to be a social activist with another 41% responding that aren’t sure if they would consider themselves an activist and only 22% saying that they would not consider themselves an activist. When asked what issues were important to them, the most frequently cited were Black Lives Matter (75%), human trafficking (68%), sexual assault/harassment/Me Too (66.49%), gun violence (65.82%), women’s rights (65.15%), climate change (55.4%), immigration reform/deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) (48.8%), and LGBTQ+ rights (47.39%). When the schools were compared, there were only minor differences in social media use with the high school students indicating slightly more use of Tik Tok than the other participants. All groups were virtually equal when it came to how informed they perceived themselves about current events and politics. Consensus among groups existed with respect to how they get their news, and the community college and high school students were slightly more likely to have participated in a march, protest, or rally in the last 12 months than the university students. The community college and high school students were also slightly more likely to consider themselves social activists than the participants from either of the universities. When the importance of the issues was considered, significant differences based on institutional type were noted. Black Lives Matter (BLM) was identified as important by the largest portion of students attending the HBCU followed by the community college students and high school students. Less than half of the students attending the TWI considered BLM an important issue. Human trafficking was cited as important by a higher percentage of students attending the HBCU and urban high school than at the suburban and rural community college or the TWI. Sexual assault was considered important by the majority of students at all the schools with the percentage a bit smaller from the majority serving institution. About two thirds of the students at the high school, community college, and HBCU considered gun violence important versus about half the students at the majority serving institution. Women’s rights were reported as being important by more of the high school and HBCU participants than the community college or TWI. Climate change was considered important by about half the students at all schools with a slightly smaller portion reporting out the HBCU. Immigration reform/DACA was reported as important by half the high school, community college, and HBCU participants with only a third of the students from the majority serving institution citing it as an important issue. With respect to LGBTQ rights approximately half of the high school and community college participants cited it as important, 44.53% of the HBCU students, and only about a quarter of the students attending the majority serving institution. Contribution and Conclusion: This paper provides a timely investigation into the mindset of generation Z students living in the United States during a period of heightened civic unrest. This insight is useful to educators who should be informed about the generation of students that is currently populating higher education. The findings of this study are consistent with public opinion polls by Pew Research Center. According to the findings, the Gen Z students participating in this study are heavy users of multiple social media, expect technology to be integrated into teaching and learning, anticipate a future career where technology will play an important role, informed about current and political events, use social media as their main source for getting news and information, and fairly engaged in social activism. When institutional type was compared the students from the university with the more affluent and less diverse population were less likely to find social justice issues important than the other groups. Recommendations for Practitioners: During disruptive and contentious times, it is negligent to think that the abounding issues plaguing society are not important to our students. Gauging the issues of importance and levels of civic engagement provides us crucial information towards understanding the attitudes of students. Further, knowing how our students gain information, their social media usage, as well as how informed they are about current events and political issues can be used to more effectively communicate and educate. Recommendations for Researchers: As social media continues to proliferate daily life and become a vital means of news and information gathering, additional studies such as the one presented here are needed. Additionally, in other countries facing similarly turbulent times, measuring student interest, awareness, and engagement is highly informative. Impact on Society: During a highly contentious period replete with a large volume of civil unrest and compounded by a global pandemic, understanding the behaviors and attitudes of students can help us as higher education faculty be more attuned when it comes to the design and delivery of curriculum. Future Research This presentation presents preliminary findings. Data is still being collected and much more extensive statistical analyses will be performed.