Sexual Assault Victimization and Perceptions of University Climate Among Bisexual Women

Abstract

Sexual minority women are more likely to experience campus sexual assault than their heterosexual peers, and previous research suggests that bisexual women are especially at risk. The purpose of this study was to compare sexual assault victimization rates and perceptions of the campus climate around sexual assault among bisexual, gay/lesbian, and heterosexual women. Surveys were administered to 6,072 university women. Results indicate that bisexual women were two times more likely to experience sexual assault than heterosexual women. Bisexual women perceived the university and students’ response to sexual assault less positively and had lower sense of community than heterosexual women. Sense of community moderated the relation between sexuality and perceived student response to sexual assault such that bisexual women with low sense of community had the least favorable perceptions. The results highlight the importance of conducting research and developing resources that are sensitive to the unique experiences of bisexual women rather than assuming all nonheterosexual women have similar experiences.

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