Campus Sexual Assault: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Research From 2000 to 2015

Abstract

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem on university and college campuses in the United States that has garnered growing national attention, particularly in the past year. This is the first study to systematically review and synthesize prevalence findings from studies on campus sexual assault (CSA) published since 2000 ( n = 34). The range of prevalence findings for specific forms of sexual victimization on college campuses (i.e., forcible rape, unwanted sexual contact, incapacitated rape, sexual coercion, and studies' broad definitions of CSA/rape) is provided, and methodological strengths and limitations in the empirical body of research on CSA are discussed. Prevalence findings, research design, methodology, sampling techniques, and measures, including the forms of sexual victimization measured, are presented and evaluated across studies. Findings suggest that unwanted sexual contact appears to be most prevalent on college campuses, including sexual coercion, followed by incapacitated rape, and completed or attempted forcible rape. Additionally, several studies measured broad constructs of sexual assault that typically include combined forms of college-based sexual victimization (i.e., forcible completed or attempted rape, unwanted sexual contact, and/or sexual coercion). Extensive variability exists within findings for each type of sexual victimization measured, including those that broadly measure sexual assault, which is largely explained by differences in sampling strategies and overall study designs as well as measures of sexual assault used in studies. Implications for findings and recommendations for future research on the prevalence of college-based sexual victimization are provided.

Examining Responsible Employees’ Perceptions of Sexual Assault Reporting Requirements Under Federal and Institutional Policy

“…Relatedly, the measures of trust and perceptions of mandatory reporting were developed for this study, and were focused on (a) institutional responses to women sexual assault survivors and (b) aspects of RAs job roles related to mandatory reporting. College women are significantly more likely to experience sexual assault and their responses to assault may differ from college men's responses (e.g., Banyard et al., ; Fedina et al., ), and, as discussed in the introduction, RAs are a useful group in which to study mandatory reporting. Thus, the current study took a step toward the examination of an important and understudied topic, but future research will be needed to advance this work.…”

Organizational influences on the intimate partner violence and sexual violence screening practices of college health care providers

“…An estimated 20 to 50% of female college students are affected by IPV during their time in college (Fedina, Holmes, & Backes, 2018;Krebs et al, 2016;Nabors, 2010). Women in college are three times more likely to experience SV than their noncollege peers (Fisher et al, 2000).…”

“…Young women on college campuses are particularly vulnerable to experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) (Aronowitz, ; Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, ; Krebs, Lindquist, Berzofsky, Shook‐Sa, & Peterson, ; Sinozich & Langton, ). An estimated 20 to 50% of female college students are affected by IPV during their time in college (Fedina, Holmes, & Backes, ; Krebs et al, ; Nabors, ). Women in college are three times more likely to experience SV than their noncollege peers (Fisher et al, ).…”

“…Until recently, the IPV/SV screening literature has been limited to noncollege settings. This is significant given that college women represent a group at high risk for IPV/SV (Anasuri, ; Black et al, ; Fedina et al, ; Sutherland et al, ; Sutherland, Fantasia, & Hutchinson, ). As such, there is a critical need to understand the provider‐level and organization‐level factors that promote or inhibit IPV/SV screening in college health centers (Sutherland et al, ; ).…”

Psychopathic traits, gender, and motivations for sex: Putative paths to sexual coercion

“…Recent large-scale surveys and systematic reviews of sexual coercion victimization among undergraduates have found prevalence rates ranging from 13% to 30% for women and 5% to 31% for men (Cantor et al, 2015;Fedina, Holmes, & Backes, 2018). Given the prevalence of victimization among college students, it is especially important to understand the relevance of oft-cited risk factors in this population, including psychopathic personality traits and beliefs and feelings about sex itself.…”