What Matters? Alcohol Use and Sexual Victimization among Female College Students

• In Event: Interpersonal Victimization on College Campuses: Results from a Southern University’s Campus Climate Survey

Abstract

This study investigated the association of respondent alcohol use (use frequency, binge drinking, and intoxication) and alcohol-related problems (unsafe situation, unwanted sex, passing out, and regrettable actions) with three forms of sexual victimization (verbal sexual harassment, unwanted sexual touching, and completed sexual assault) among female college students. Using data with 4,342 participants, gathered by an annual campus safety survey, logistic regression employed alcohol consumption-related factors as predictors and three forms of sexual victimization as dependent variables. 76% of female college students reported consuming alcohol and about half of them experienced binge drinking in the last 2 weeks. Respondents tend to underestimate their level of recent binge drinking. Results reveal that female college student drinking behaviors and problems associated with alcohol use had significantly positive associations with three types of sexual victimization. Respondents who reported being in unsafe situations due to alcohol consumption were 5.45, 6.50, and 11.19 times more likely to experience verbal sexual harassment, unwanted sexual touching, and completed sexual assault, respectively. The magnitude of the effects increases as the trauma level of a given form of sexual assault increases.

Authors

• Xian Wu, University of Kentucky

• Joesph M. Calvert, University of Kentucky

• Caihong R. Li, University of Kentucky

• Jaspreet Chahal, University of Kentucky

• Diane Follingstad, University of Kentucky