College Sexual Violence in Context: Vulnerable Populations and Campus Climate

Using the 2016 Diverse Learning Environments Survey, this study explores the prevalence of sexual violence among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other (LGBQO) and transgender students who experienced unwanted sexual contact or sexual assault while in college, as well as perceptions of campus climate indicators among LGBQO and transgender students. LGBQO and transgender students report higher rates of sexual violence compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Additionally, LGBQO and transgender students who experienced sexual violence had higher measures of constructs that we conceptualize as “practices of resilience”. Greater insight into the prevalence of SV for LGBQO and transgender students, exploration of SV within the context of campus climate, and an anti-deficit approach to understanding minoritized students who have experienced SV in college can inform the efforts of campus professionals, faculty, and Title IX administrators, to better support vulnerable populations in postsecondary institutions.