HPEB 511 Reflection Paper #2 Name: Jessica Kibler

Due: Thursday, January 31, 2019

Social Ecological Model

Sexual violence is a major health issue which impacts all demographics worldwide and
directly leads to psychological, physical, and emotional trauma. This trauma has a great impact
on society as a whole and can directly be studied using a variety of models including the Social
Ecological model. This model has 5 specific layers which can be tied together to analyze the
worldwide issue of Sexual violence and how it can be potentially acted upon in a preventative or
interventional manner.
Sexual violence can be addressed in a multi-faceted approach using the Social Ecological
model of health promotion. Starting on the intrapersonal level, solutions can be derived from
introducing factors that increase the risk of being either the survivor or the perpetrator. These
influences could include: personal history, substance abuse, cultural beliefs supporting sexual
violence, lack of education, or socioeconomic status (Coker, Smith, McKeown, & King, 2000).
Some potential solutions at the individual level include promoting behaviors that depict
nonviolence and respect. For example, developing educational sessions that reflect healthy
relationships that are mutually beneficial with defined boundaries. At the next level, there is a
focus on the interpersonal influences such as relationships with significant others, peers, family,
etc. A strategy in which to improve these relationships could include family focused prevention
initiatives, conflict resolution programs, and fostering healthy communications. It is imperative
to help adolescents develop positive behaviors amongst each other at an early age, so that as they
prepare for their first relationships they can tackle sexual violence in an intimate setting at its
core (Breiding, Smith, Basile, Walters, Chen, & Merrick, 2014). On the 3rd level, the
organizational and institutional sphere, elements which modify behavior include risk factors that
increase based on structure within a community such as schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Some opportunities that can impact these types of environments could include: creating social
media campaigns within college campuses and schools, to teach consent along with safe sex. The
outermost layer focuses on policy that reinforces positive actions and punishes negative
behaviors. The end goal of policies in this context would be to cultivate a society where the
social norms do not include a rape culture through punishment of said rape culture, and an
emphasis on prevention of sexual assault. Many are not aware of the long-term cost to society of
sexual violence, and this cost can have a much more wide-ranging impact than initially seen.
These costs include government programs established to pay for hospital visits for survivors,
organizations formed to provide resources like counseling/housing for these survivors, and
financially supporting the prison time of perpetrators. Working with legislators to increase funds
for preventative programs as well as harsher punishment for perpetrators are the main tenets of
this outer layer, and can have a very direct impact on the management of sexual violence on
every level of society.

Reflection Paper #2
 References
Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Basile, K. C., Walters, M. L., Chen, J., & Merrick, M. T. (2014).
Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence
victimization—national intimate partner and sexual violence survey, United States,
2011. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C.
: 2002), 63(8), 1-18.

Coker, A. L., Smith, P. H., McKeown, R. E., & King, M. J. (2000). Frequency and correlates of
intimate partner violence by type: physical, sexual, and psychological
battering. American journal of public health, 90(4), 553-9.

Reflection Paper #2