Welcome to the SASH Lab!

Welcome to the Sexual Assault and Sexual Health Lab, directed by Dr. Kathryn Holland. In the lab, we study a variety of issues related to sexual assault and sexual health—with the goal of helping people (especially those who are marginalized by their gender and/or sexual identities) live safer and healthier lives by understanding and changing oppressive social institutions and systems. 

The SASH Lab takes a broad approach to understanding sexual assault and sexual health: examining a full range of sexual assault experiences (e.g., unwanted touching, sexual coercion) and many dimensions of sexual health (e.g., sexual communication, satisfaction) in addition to more conventional conceptualizations of “sexual assault” (e.g., rape as defined by law) and “sexual health” (e.g., condom use). Some current research interests/areas include: 

  • The implementation and effectiveness of formal support systems for survivors of sexual assault and harassment, including laws and policies (e.g.,  Title IX, Title VII, Clery Act, mandatory reporting), reporting options, and resources.
  • Service barriers for cis/straight and LGBTQ+ sexual assault survivors and the consequences of service barriers for mental health and recovery. 
  • The causes and consequences of both negative and positive sociocultrial experiences--such as gendered aggressions (e.g., sexual harassment), minority stressors (e.g., heterosexism), prosocial actions (e.g., bystander intervention), support systems (e.g., sense of community)--within interpersonal interactions and relationships.
  • The connections between social norms/stereotypes around gender and sexuality (e.g., women are passive and men are aggressive, bisexual women are promiscuous, stigmatization of women's bodies) and women’s sexual health.

If you are interested in applying and have questions, please email: kholland4@unl.edu.