Campus Atmosphere Impacts on Sexual Violence: A Bayesian Comparison of Undergraduate and Community Colleges
Bonnesen, Kamilla
Citations
Abstract
Sexual violence (SV) is a global public health issue, especially on college campuses. Four-year campuses present high-risk environments for SV, but it is uncertain whether two-year campus students experience the same risk factors. Alcohol consumption is one of the most robust predictors of SV, and heavy episodic drinking (HED) is more common on four-year campuses. Using ARC3 campus climate data, I conducted the first comparison of SV odds between two- and four-year campuses and found reliable differences in SV and HED: four-year campus students were twice as likely to have experienced SV (OR=1.98, 90% CI=1.61-2.46) and two and a half times more likely to engage in HED (OR=2.63, 90% CI=2.24-3.10) compared to two-year campus students. There were no differences in the risk of SV associated with drinking by campus type. Future research should identify other areas in which student experiences differ across campuses to ensure the best support for victims.