Female Students’ Perceptions of Sexual Victimization in the College Environment

Research indicates that sexual victimization is a significant problem on college campuses in the United States. Ranging from unwanted sexual contact to rape, sexual victimization of female students is not only a pervasive issue in the college environment, but it also may lead to devastating short- and long-term consequences for survivors, including physical, psychological, and emotional implications. In an effort to better understand the scope of this issue, the researcher attempted to conduct a comprehensive study about female students’ perceptions of sexual victimization at a mid-size, Northeastern, Catholic, liberal arts college. Participants’ recommendations for ways in which colleges can educate students and provide better resources for survivors were a significant result of the study, along with findings concerning the role of alcohol and victimization myth beliefs. Implications for future research and policy include assessing the effectiveness of current sexual assault education and prevention initiatives, as well as further examining the contributing factors to incidences of sexual victimization in the college environment