Pranks, Obscene Chatters, and Ambiguous Content: Exploring the Identification and Navigation of Inappropriate Messages to a Web-Based Sexual Assault Hotline

Sexual assault crisis hotlines provide crucial support for survivors. Though some hotline users engage in inappropriate conduct (e.g. prank or obscene calls), few studies explore these interactions. To address the lack of literature exploring inappropriate hotline interactions, we conducted a secondary data analysis of chat transcripts (n = 233) shared with the research team as part of the formative evaluation of a university-based sexual assault program's web-based crisis hotline. From those transcripts, we analyzed potentially inappropriate interactions (n = 38), most of which (n = 28) hotline responders flagged as inappropriate in post-chat log forms. We used codebook thematic analysis to explore how hotline responders identified and navigated these interactions. Our analysis generated three themes describing the processes through which responders seemed to identify potentially inappropriate chats - detecting implausibly graphic and abusive content, identifying patterns of presumably inauthentic chat topics, and interpreting ambiguous content. Hotline responders seemed to navigate ambiguous and less egregious boundary violations by gently redirecting conversations, and addressed clearer violations by setting firm, direct boundaries. Chatters responded to boundary setting by desisting and disconnecting or attempting to reengage responders. Findings highlight ambiguities and challenges web-based sexual assault hotline responders face and suggest a need for additional responder support, training, and debriefing options.

Drinking, Diversity, and Discrimination: Campus-Level Factors that Influence Students' Risk of Experiencing Sexual Assault

College students' individual-level risk factors for sexual assault victimization have been studied for decades, but fewer studies have looked at whether and how campus-level factors, such as campus-level rates of discrimination and campus diversity, might also influence student victimization risk. Identifying these broader factors can inform efforts to develop more effective campus-level sexual assault preventive interventions. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a large, multi-campus health and well-being survey (N = 309,171 students across 474 US campuses) to explore how campus-level factors shape students' risk of experiencing sexual assault after accounting for students' individual-level risk factors. Using mixed-effects logistic regression, we examined the influence of campus-level factors (e.g., campus sexual orientation demographics and gender diversity) on students' odds of experiencing sexual assault, after accounting for individual risk factors (e.g., sexual and gender minority status). Although some campus characteristics, such as enrollment size, had small significant effects on students' odds of experiencing sexual assault, we found larger significant effects from aggregated campus-level rates of binge drinking, campus diversity (particularly regarding sexual orientation and gender), and discrimination. These findings suggest that comprehensive campus sexual violence prevention would benefit from strategies that promote safe and inclusive campuses, especially for students with marginalized sexual and gender identities.

Granular media filtration: old process, new thoughts

The design of granular media filters has evolved over many years so that modern filters have larger media sizes and higher filtration velocities than in earlier times. The fundamental understanding of filtration has also improved over time, with current models that account reasonably for all characteristics of the media, the suspension and the filter operation. The methodology for design, however, has not kept pace with these improvements; current designs are based on pilot plants, past experience, or a simple guideline (the ratio of the bed depth to media grain size). We propose that design should be based universally on a characteristic removal length, with the provision of a bed depth that is some multiple of that characteristic length. This characteristic removal length is calculated using the most recent (and most complete) fundamental model and is based on the particle size with the minimum removal efficiency in a filter. The multiple of the characteristic length that yields the required bed depth has been calibrated to existing, successful filters.

The scientific basis of flocculator design

A new guideline for the design of flocculators is proposed. This guideline is to design continuous flow flocculators on the basis of the characteristic reaction time for the loss of one micrometre particles in the suspension. The most commonly used guideline at the present time is that of Camp, but later proposals by Ives and O'Melia expanded the Camp guideline and incorporated more complete knowledge of flocculation. The suggestion here continues that process, by accounting explicitly for the heterodisperse nature of typical suspensions and the multiple collision mechanisms for particles in determining a characteristic reaction time. While the historical guidelines have served the water treatment industry well for reasonably similar size distributions in waters destabilized by precipitating metal hydroxides, the proposed guideline should be more robust in considering other suspensions. In particular, the new guideline can account explicitly for the effects of nanoparticles on flocculation.