Assessing the Role the "Gender Gap" Plays in Campus Sexual Assault

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Title IX and Sexual Violence on College Campuses

Abstract

Relatively few studies have examined how and why the rates of sexual misconduct differ across different postsecondary institution types. The study we are currently undertaking will analyze the sexual assault statistics pertaining to 329 colleges and universities in the United States. Specifically this study examines the role of the gender gap – the gap in enrollment between men and women on college campuses – in predicting sexual misconduct. Preliminary results suggest that high selectivity and liquor law violations are positively correlated with instances of reported sexual misconduct. The gender gap, however, is not statistically significantly related to number of reported instances of sexual assault.

Authors

• Jonathan Swann, Davidson College

• Christopher Russell Marsicano, Davidson College