In Recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Kristin M. Anders, Ph.D., Kansas State University
“Risk Factors for Violence in Sexual and Romantic Relationships across Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood:
A Call for Research and Action”
April 3, 2025 | 12:30 PM
Dr. Kristin M. Anders’s (she/her) research program focuses on the conceptualization of and communication around healthy and unhealthy sexual development in the U.S. Specifically, much of her work focuses on how we capture and communicate about sexuality within relationships–ranging from communication by care providers (e.g., parent-child, healthcare, early childhood educators) to within romantic relationships. Within this research, Kristin studies the use of violence in sexual and romantic relationships across adolescence and emerging adulthood. Specifically, her work has examined risk factors associated with the engagement in sexual violence on college campuses and sexual teen dating violence. She aims to use this research to better inform sexuality research, education, and violence prevention programs, particularly in high schools and colleges.
Kristin earned her Ph.D. in Child and Family Studies from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2017. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Kansas State University, wherein she is a faculty with both the Human Development and Family Science undergraduate program and Prevention Science graduate program. She currently leads the Sexual Health and Assault Research and Education (SHARE) team and co-leads the Identity Over the Lifespan (IDOL) team with Dr. Anthony Ferraro. Kristin also continues to work with Drs. Michelle Toews and Chelsea Spencer on meta-analytic reviews of sexual and dating violence during the teen and college years which will be highlighted within this presentation.