Mary P. Koss Research Profile

About

Mary Koss, PhD, is a Regents’ Professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. She published the first national study of sexual assault among college students in 1987, which is the subject of I Never Called it Rape: The Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape (2019). The story of this work is featured on National Public Radio’s This American Life, https://www.thisamericanlife.org/770/my-lying-eyes In 2022 she published a 30-year prevalence comparison in new national data that demonstrate sexual exploitation occurs even more frequently now than then. Especially salient were the percentage of rapes that involved victims incapacitated by alcohol. Her ongoing prevention work is funded by NIAAA and is a clinical trial of a sexual assault bystander prevention program focusing on staff of liquor serving establishments (Safer Bars). Koss led the 14-member team that has recently revised the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES-V, 2024) to measure sexual exploitation prevalence, which is explored in a 6-article special issue of The Journal of Sex Research published open access in July 2024. The SES-V materials are available on Open Science https://osf.io/hxpsk For a survey demonstration on mobile phone, click: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6A64XSPRlCReRTM (looks best if done from a phone). Koss was the principal investigator of the RESTORE Program; the first [and still only] restorative justice program for sex crimes among adults that was quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated and published in scientific peer review journals. With a colleague, she recently worked on a listening project to learn what survivor victims say they needed to help them recover, their experiences with justice, and their reactions to the restorative justice conferencing model. Recognizing the mismatch between victims perceived post-assault needs and what key informants envision as their service scope, she advocates for victim-centered, trauma informed resolution outside the criminal legal system as a component of a comprehensive menu of post-assault services (Chisolm & Koss, 2024, International Journal of Restorative Justice and 2024 Violence Against Women). An article illustrating how this vision could be accomplished within existing VAWA purpose areas recently appeared in Psychology of Violence. Her credentials document close to 200 peer review empirical publications and sustained consultations with national and international health organizations and governments. She has received honors from the American Psychological Association: the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy (2000), Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology (2017), the Carolyn Wood Sherif Award for Sustained Contributions to Psychology of Women (2020), and the Trailblazer Award (2022) from the Sexual Violence Research Initiative based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Recent Webinars for workforce development are viewable on YouTube including: University of South Carolina School of Law (2021) Fundamentals of Restorative Justice https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/DOsbCkUzAJiAqxQ-q0ANmb5WXnEaYcs-Li0-XBtELOPRVrMw5LVpcwwsJDncHYM5.Kh5RXrX-bJkXGU-x One Standard of Justice (2021). Experience from Practicing Restorative Justice for Sexual Harm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apTShtlJ7lo Society for Scientific Study of Social Issues (2023). How do you make your research matter to policy makers and practitioners? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSYAQqrltXE Koss is included as a significant feminist voice in the history of psychology history of feminist psychology https://feministvoices.com/profiles/mary-koss Her 2018 op-ed on differentiating sexual abuse, sexual assault and sexual harassment that appeared in The Conversation has received more than 1.4 million views; her most recent work published on this site addresses how people facilitate sexual exploitation through enabling, complicity, and co-perpetration. She currently advises the USAID [United States Agency for International Development] Taskforce on Sexual Misconduct and the American Psychological Association Advisory Group on Women’s Health.

Skills

Experience

Regent's Professor of Public Health

University of Arizona (UA)

Jan-1987 to Present

Professor

Kent State University (KSU)

Feb-1976 to Feb-1988

Assistant Professor

St. Olaf College

Feb-1973 to Feb-1976

Education

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Ph.D. in clinical psychology

Passout Year: 1972

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

AB in Psychology

Passout Year: 1970

Role in Research Journals

Journal Name: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Violence and Victims

Role: Assistant Editor

Journal Name: Criminal Justice and Behavior

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Violence and Abuse Abstracts

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Violence Against Women

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Journal of Sexual Aggression

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: Journal of Gender, Culture, and Health

Role: Editorial Board Member

Journal Name: The Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Role: Editorial Board Member

Projects

Jan-1985 to Jan-1987

Criminal Victimization: The Somatic Impact of Psychological Stress (85-IJ-CX-0038)

$223,026

Funded by Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice

Jan-1983 to Jan-1985

Hidden Rape: A National Study

$267,423

Funded by DHHS, NIMH, National Center for the Prevention and Control of Rape

Jan-1978 to Jan-1981

Hidden Rape on a University Campus

$161,236

Funded by Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Center for the Prevention and Control of Rape

Hidden Rape on a University Campus (MH 31618). Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Center for the Prevention and Control of Rape (1978-1981, $161,236, Role: PI, 25% FTE).

Jan-2014 to Dec-2018

Sexual Violence Prevention and Education (ASBA)

1/1/2014-12-31/18 (awarded yearly). Sexual Violence Prevention and Education (ASBA) [Arizona Safer Bars Alliance]. This project is funded through the Arizona Department of Health Services, Agreement No. ADHS16-122850. The goal is to evaluate the ASBA bystander sexual assault prevention program designed for liquor serving staff of bars surrounding three Arizona Universities (UA, ASU, NAU). (Role: PI and transitioned to Co-PI in 2017 with Elise Lopez, DrPH as PI, FTE varies).

Conference/Seminar/STTP/FDP/Symposium/Workshop

Workshop

Feb 1998

Surveillance Issues Related to Violence Against Women

Hosted By:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ,

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Conference

Feb 1994

No safe haven: Male violence against women at home, at work, and in the community.

Hosted By:

American Psychological Association (APA) ,

District of Columbia, United States

No safe haven: Male violence against women at home, at work, and in the community. © Request Permissions Koss, M. P., Goodman, L. A., Browne, A., Fitzgerald, L. F., Keita, G. P., & Russo, N. F. (1994). No safe haven: Male violence against women at home, at work, and in the community. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10156-000 "No Safe Haven" provides a comprehensive . . . look at the pervasive nature of violence against women. It reviews current psychological research on the prevalence, causes, and effects of forms of violence against adult women and describes existing and recommended interventions, legal changes, and policy initiatives to address the problem. [The book] focuses on 3 common types of abuse against adult women: physical assault by male partners, sexual harassment in work and educational settings, and rape and other forms of sexual violence. The final section of the book highlights the common themes that emerge from these 3 types of violence and presents recommendations for effective intervention, treatment, and public policy initiatives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Conference

Feb 1988

I never called it rape: The "Ms." report on recognizing, fighting, and surviving date and acquaintance rape

Hosted By:

Harper & Row Publishers ,

New York, New York, United States

I never called it rape: The "Ms." report on recognizing, fighting, and surviving date and acquaintance rape. A Resources section has been included to help readers with a variety of interests, from learning more about the dynamics of acquaintance rape to setting up a campus or community program for prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) Warshaw, R. (1988). I never called it rape: The "Ms." report on recognizing, fighting, and surviving date and acquaintance rape. Harper & Row Publishers.

Conference

Mar 1990

Changed lives: The psychological impact of sexual harassment

Hosted By:

State University of New York Press ,

New York, New York, United States

experiencing sexual harassment transforms women into victims and changes their lives / much has been written about the experience of victimization including its impact on deeply held beliefs and values, immediate and long-term effects on mental health, and fallout in social and work arenas / the goal of this paper is to review the literature that documents these psychological impacts of sexual harassment and to present a cognitive model of victimization that attempts to explain the origin of these effects (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Conference

Mar 2006

The Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma

Hosted By:

VAWnet.org ,

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States

The psychological consequences of sexual trauma among survivors have been widely studied, but research investigations continue, in part, because rates of violence against girls and women remain high. The National Violence Against Women Survey found that 18% of women reported experiencing a completed or attempted rape during their lifetime (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). More than half (54%) of the rape survivors that responded to the survey were younger than age 18 when they experienced their first attempted or completed rape. Ongoing research attention to mental health outcomes is also driven by evidence that survivors’ responses are largely complex and unique to each individual (Briere & Jordan, 2004). Some individuals experience severe symptoms or longterm distress, whereas others do not (e.g., Kendall-Tackett, Williams, & Finkelhor, 1993). The diversity in outcomes may be attributed to characteristics of the violent acts, environmental conditions, survivor attributes, and availability of social support and resources. Another contributing factor is the use of different methodologies across research investigations. Although some individuals may be resilient to the negative effects of sexual trauma, it does not minimize the observation that for other women sexual victimization is the most devastating event they will experience. This paper describes current research findings on the effects of childhood and adulthood sexual victimization on women’s mental health. Existing data on understudied communities and risk factors for mental health problems are also presented. Childhood and adulthood sexual violence are discussed separately because, contrary to public opinion, sexual violence against children is fairly common and is frequently associated with psychological distress that continues into adulthood. There is also evidence that the mental health effects of childhood sexual victimization might be different from those due to adulthood victimization (e.g., Coid et al., 2003). This document does not cover other health outcomes, such as chronic medical conditions and reproductive and maternal health problems, because those outcomes make up a distinct body of literature that requires a focused review in their own right. Having knowledge in this area is critical for all individuals working with survivors, including victim advocates, community health workers, and policy makers. First, it promotes continued empathy and support for survivors. Second, the knowledge may help diverse groups of service providers respond to current trends toward professionalization of the field of sexual violence. As state and federal funding for violence against women face budget cuts from year to year, organizations have had to move away from grassroots models to professional models (Patricia Yancey Martin, 2005). Professional models include the use of evaluation and analytic tools and other activities related to writing proposals and managing grants and contracts. This requires knowledge of the research literature and the language and conceptual models frequently used by scientists and professionals. This paper provides a review that will hopefully facilitate discussions of the psychological consequences of sexual victimization across different individuals and organizations that work with or for survivors.

Seminar

Nov 2018

Lessons Learned from Using GIS M apping for Community Violence Prevention Planning

Hosted By:

American Public Health Association (APHA) ,

District of Columbia, United States

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping is a novel method for spatially visualizing data, and has been used in community health planning to assess health inequity issues such as life span, poverty, and access to healthy foods. In recent years, CDC has suggested that assessment the relationship between alcohol policies and police reports for interpersonal violence should be considered in community violence prevention planning. Particularly, it has been suggested that there may be a spatial relationship between density of liquor licenses (i.e., many liquor-serving establishments close together) and ‘hot spots’ of police reports for physical and sexual violence. Violence prevention specialists have been encouraged to use GIS mapping to assess spatial patterns of interpersonal violence in order to identify areas in which to target prevention efforts. Although GIS mapping is an exceptional tool for presenting data, the resources needed to use this method using public data is rarely discussed. In this presentation, we will discuss a recent study undertaken by researchers and students at The University of Arizona to map the relationship between liquor licenses and police reports of violent crime in four major cities in Arizona. Data on liquor licenses was obtained from the state liquor licensing department, and crime datasets were obtained from local police departments. The results showed hot spots of police reports for violence around major university campuses, which typically had high densities of alcohol-serving establishments within a one-mile radius. In this presentation, we will focus on general lessons learned from the GIS process, which was a new method for the research team, that can be applied to using this approach to measure health equity/inequity. Specifically, we will discuss successes and challenges in planning for GIS mapping on a limited budget, obtaining and cleaning data, software and personnel skills needed to conduct GIS mapping, and tips for making maps useful for policy and practice. Examples of how the GIS maps from this study were utilized in policy and practice recommendations in Arizona will also be discussed.

Membership

Life Time Member

American Psychological Association (APA)

From year 1976 to Present

Invited Position

State of the Art in Sexual Assault Research

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

From year 1987 to 1987

Honours & Awards

Trailblazer Award

Awarded by:

WHO

Year: 2022

Carolyn Wood Sherif Award

Awarded by:

American Psychological Association

Year: 2020

Summer Research Award

Awarded by:

Kent State University

Year: 1981

Doctoral and Master Thesis Guided

MMPI Item Content and Identification of Crisis Situations

Research Scholar:

Self (Dissertation)

Institute : University of Minnesota (UMN)

Area of research: PSYCHOLOGY

Scholar9 Profile ID

S9-022025-0809548

Publication

(166)

Article Reviewed

(0)

Citations

(15037)

Network

(4)

Conferences/Seminar

(6)

Dr.(Prof.) Mary P. Koss

About

Skills

Experience

Regent's Professor of Public Health

Professor

Assistant Professor

Education

University of Minnesota (UMN)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Publication

Toward an understanding of intergenerational trauma and storytelling in Black families.

Survivor-victim perspectives on the possibility of restorative justice conferencing after sexual assault

Effects of social support interventions on LGBTQ+ survivor-victims of Intimate Partner Violence: a systematic review

Using research to recalibrate the Violence Against Women Act initiatives for sexual exploitation response

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Bar-Staff Bystander Intervention Training Program for Reducing Sexual Aggression

Healing strategies of women who experienced sexual assault: A mixed method analysis

Innovative Services for Survivors of Sexual Violence: Mapping New Pathways Forward

Toward a More Gender-Inclusive Sexual Experiences Survey: Development and Preliminary Validation With Transgender and Gender-Expansive Survivors of Ca...

Preliminary Prevalence Estimates of Sexual Exploitation as Measured by the Sexual Experiences Survey-Victimization (SES-V) in a National US Sample

The Revised Sexual Experiences Survey Victimization Version (SES-V): Conceptualization, Modifications, Items and Scoring

Role in Research Journals

Projects

Criminal Victimization: The Somatic Impact of Psychological Stress (85-IJ-CX-0038)

Hidden Rape: A National Study

Hidden Rape on a University Campus

Sexual Violence Prevention and Education (ASBA)

Conference/Seminar/STTP/FDP/Symposium/Workshop

Surveillance Issues Related to Violence Against Women

No safe haven: Male violence against women at home, at work, and in the community.

I never called it rape: The "Ms." report on recognizing, fighting, and surviving date and acquaintance rape

Changed lives: The psychological impact of sexual harassment

The Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma

Lessons Learned from Using GIS M apping for Community Violence Prevention Planning

Membership

Life Time Member

Invited Position

State of the Art in Sexual Assault Research

Honours & Awards

Trailblazer Award

Carolyn Wood Sherif Award

Summer Research Award

Doctoral and Master Thesis Guided

MMPI Item Content and Identification of Crisis Situations

Scholar9 Profile ID

Publication

Article Reviewed

Citations

Network

Conferences/Seminar

Academic Identity

Employee Job Profile URL

ORCID

Google Scholar Profile

Academia Profile

SSRN ID

Mendeley Profile

Authors

Neil M. Malamuth

Mary P. Koss

Aurelio José Figueredo

Jacquelyn W. White