Repeat sexual victimization during college: Prevalence and psychosocial correlates.

Abstract

Introduction: Studies indicate that 20% to 25% of women and 7% to 8% of men will experience sexual assault during college, ranging from unwanted sexual contact through completed penetration. However, data on repeat victimization during college (i.e., exposure to two or more assaults) are scarce, with few studies examining correlates of repeat victimization and its prevalence by gender. Method: Data were drawn from a representative survey (N = 2,500 invited to participate; 67% enrolled) conducted in the spring of 2016 at 2 interrelated institutions of higher education in the northeast United States. Among the 350 participants who reported a sexual assault, data were available on 336 (Mage = 20.5) who indicated the number of separate assaults since starting college. Results: Among students who experienced sexual assault at college, 64% reported repeat victimization. Although repeat victimization did not differ significantly by gender, seven of the nine gender diverse students were repeatedly victimized. The median number of assaults was 3. Compared to those with only one sexual assault experience, repeat victims reported more hazardous alcohol use, more unprotected sex while drinking, more past-month marijuana use, and a greater number of recent sexual partners. Repeat victims were less likely than singly victimized students to engage in alcohol harm reduction behaviors. Conclusion: The prevalence of repeat victimization was high and associated with concerning substance use and unprotected sex patterns. Integrated alcohol and sexual risk harm reduction efforts may be important to mitigate risk for exposure to multiple assaults, alcohol problems, and unprotected sex during the college period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

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