Students, faculty present research on gender-based violence

Katrina Lee, News Editor

Faculty, students and community members gathered at the Larrick Student Center on Tuesday to discuss and highlight research by faculty and students at a session revolving around gender-based violence on college campuses.

Research from over 30 department across the university and health system was represented at
The Women’s Health Research Day. The event was put on by the VCU Institute for Women’s Health and was called “Gender-Based Violence: Campus, Community, and Beyond.

“The mission of IWH is to advance interdisciplinary research, provide education and training in women’s health and sex/gender differences, foster community engagement, support equity for diverse women in science, and promote standards of excellence in women’s health care,” Executive Director of IWH Susan G. Kornstein stated in an email.

This year’s Women’s Health Research Day was the 16th anniversary of the event, according to Kornstien. During the event, keynote speakers gave presentations and posters of their work, along with other research, were displayed around the room.

Awards were given out for best research posters in Basic Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences and Community and Public Health Research, as well as a Building Bridges in Women’s Health Research Award and Elizabeth Fries Young Investigator Award, Kornstein stated.

Dr. Fidelma Rigby, a professor at the department of obstetrics and gynecology at VCUHealth, presented “Gender-Based Violence as a Medical Issue” at the event on Tuesday. The presentation covered issues including domestic violence and human trafficking.

“Everyday, four women die from domestic violence, and it is our job to make sure this ends,” Rigby said.

Rigby said VCU is helping victims of human trafficking by conducting sceening during hosipital visits and educating medical staff how to identfy victims of human trafficking.

Rigby said that one of the institute’s main jobs is to “recognize and give hope” along with preventing human trafficking.

Psychology and criminal justice senior Hailie Suarez-Rivas was one of the students who presented their research at the event. Rivas said one of their research hypotheses was looking into the possible association between interpersonal violence exposure and alcohol consumption.

“My second hypothesis was that sex would moderate this relationship at each of the levels. And what that means is just like, sex would influence it. And there would be significant differences between females and males,” Suarez-Rivas said.

Suarez-Rivas said they took part in “VCU GREAT” last summer, a university summer research program, which helped them conduct secondary data collection of students during their freshman year.

Suarez-Rivas said they used a sum score to measure exposure of interpersonal violence, from no exposure at all, to exposure to only physical assault, only sexual assault or both. They used a linear regression model based on alcohol consumption over four years to determine the association between the two. The sexes of the participants were measured through a self-report question, according to Suarez- Rivas.

“We found those who are exposed to only physical assault, and those who are exposed to both physical and sexual assault, did increase alcohol consumption compared to those who had no exposure,” Suarez-Rivas said.

Suarez-Rivas said their research showed a significant difference in alcohol consumption between males and females who were exposed to physical assault.

“Females who were exposed to only physical assault were drinking significantly less than the males who were exposed to only physical assault,” Suarez-Rivas said.

From their research, Suarez-Rivas also found females who were exposed to physical assault were drinking less than their male counterparts.

“I kind of looked into the typical associations that females had with physical assault compared to males, when I found that females tend to be exposed to more injuries if they’ve been physically assaulted, and tend to like, know, their perpetrator,” Suarez-Rivas said.

Suarez-Rivas said Women’s Health Research Day is important for anyone who wants to learn about gender differences in issues.

“I know, there’s some research primarily focused on males and then there’s other research as primarily female, ” Rivas-Suarez said. “I feel like coming to this event you’re able to be exposed to more gender differences.’