Peer Support for Sexual Assault on the College Campus: Results from the West Virginia University Campus Climate Survey

• In Event: Prevalence and Context of Sexual Assault on College Campuses

Abstract

U.S. college campuses have long been breeding grounds for an endemic level of crime and high rates of sexual assault at these institutions of higher learning continue to be uncovered by researchers in this current era. However, to advance a better understanding of campus sexual assault, and to both prevent and control this problem, we need to identify its major determinants. One that is consistently identified by surveys done across North America is peer support, especially that provided by male peers. Is this the case at West Virginia University (WVU)? Using data from the WVU Campus Quality of Life Survey, the main objective of this paper is to answer this question. As well, data on the prevalence of sexual assault on the WVU campus are reported. Here, prevalence refers to the percentage of students who reported having been assaulted since enrolling at WVU. These data are compared with prevalence rates uncovered by other recent campus climate surveys and we conclude by discussing the policy implications of our findings.

Authors

• Walter DeKeseredy, West Virginia University

• Amanda Hall-Sanchez, West Virginia University

• Douglas Myers, West Virginia University