Groping of Female College Students at a State University: Identifying Risk and Protective Factors

• In Event: Using Theory to Explore College Victimization

Abstract

The most recent nationwide survey indicates that 17.7 percent of college women have experienced at least one instance of unwanted sexual touching while in college (Cantor et al., 2015). Further, data from our study of a state university suggests a considerably higher incidence of 33 percent. Researchers tend to focus on serious forms of sexual assault like rape while incapacitated by drugs or alcohol (Waters and Waters, 2016) or forcible/attempted rape (Waters and Waters, 2017) for identifying risk factors or testing various theories of victimization. This study attempts to remedy this deficiency by testing whether victims’ level of self-control, lifestyles, opportunities, previous victimization, and demographic characteristics, are significant predictors of unwanted touching of college women. Data for the study includes a survey administered to the entire student population of a Midwestern university with an enrollment of approximately 8,600 students. Analytic strategies include binary logistic regression analysis and discriminant analysis. Findings are discussed in light of criminological theory and policy recommendations.

Authors

• Kevin Waters, Northern Michigan University

• Kenneth Houston Waters, Northern Michigan University