The Role of Race and Education in Sexual Assault Victimization Rates among College-Aged Women

• In Event: Sexual Violence Risk and Protective Factors at Colleges and Universities

Abstract

A recent report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics states that women aged 18 to 24 who are not enrolled in college have higher rates of sexual assault than college women of the same age. This finding indicates that higher education represents either a causal effect or possible selection mechanism for the victimization rates of the age group with the highest rates of sexual assault. Moreover, race is also tied to higher rates of violent victimization with non-Hispanic Blacks experiencing higher rates. By pooling five years of recent NCVS data, this study will examine the relative effects of higher education and race on sexual victimization rates. Specifically, it is predicted that college enrollment differences will be reduced with controls for poverty status, such that Black college women will have sexual assault rates more similar to White college women than to Black women without a college education. The same respective patterns are predicted for White college women.

Authors

• Briana Moore, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Janet L. Lauritsen, University of Missouri - St. Louis