Defining Campus Violence: A Phenomenological Analysis of Community Stakeholder Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to derive an empirically based understanding of campus violence. Grounded in a communication paradigm offered by sociolinguistic scholars, we adopted a phenomenological approach for conducting and analyzing 23 interviews from campus community stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community experts in issues relating to violence. Participants were asked to describe campus violence; define “typical” victims and perpetrators of campus violence; explain the factors contributing to campus violence; and assess the current response of the university to campus violence. The perspectives of the community stakeholders were used to propose a description of the essence of campus violence. Implications for future research and policy development are addressed.