Senior Project Advisor

Mary Hunt

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2021

Keywords

sexual violence, sexual assault, campus sexual assault, college sexual assault, university sexual assault, rape

Abstract

Introduction: Individual and structural factors like student demographic characteristics, a Greek system, Division I athletics, substance use, and university size, facilitate sexual violence (SV) on college campuses. This study examined SV experiences of students at Western Washington University, a large, residential, public school without a Greek system or major athletic presence.

Method: Data were collected from October 2020 to January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. A large convenience sample (N = 924) of college students participated in an online survey. Participants were majority women (68%), white (77%), and identified as a variety of sexual orientations: heterosexual (52%), bisexual (24%), LGQ+ (24%). Participants responded to questions about unwanted sexual experiences by behavior and incidence of SA under five circumstances (e.g., force, coercion, ignoring refusals). They also described factors (e.g., location, substance use) of their most recent incident of SV during college. Results: One in five WWU students reported experiencing SV during college and 35.2% of WWU students reported experiencing SV before college. Gender expansive students, bisexual students, and women reported higher rates of SV than men and heterosexual students. SV often occurred in conjunction with alcohol (22.2%) at an off-campus apartment/house (34.5%) where the perpetrator was a casual acquaintance or hookup (32.8%).

Discussion: SV occurs on college campuses regardless of certain significant structural factors. Gender and sexual orientation are salient factors, with bisexual women experiencing the highest rates of SA. These data were used by the university prevention and wellness services to inform educational programming and counseling efforts.

Department

Community Health

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

College students--Crimes against--Washington (State)--Bellingham; Sex crimes--Washington (State)--Bellingham; Rape in universities and colleges

Subjects - Names (LCNAF)

Bellingham (Wash.)

Geographic Coverage

Western Washington University

Genre/Form

fieldwork (research)

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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