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ABSTRACT
The present study investigated sexual assault risk among sorority women enrolled at a Northwestern university. Bivariate comparisons were made between 282 women and demonstrated significant risk for unwanted sex facilitated by verbal coercion, as well as completed rape as a result of threats or force for sorority women compared with nonaffiliates. The subsample of 89 sorority women was then assessed to examine risk factors for sexual assault victimization. Separate multivariate binary logistic regression models were estimated for verbal coercion resulting in unwanted sex, intoxicated sexual assault, and completed rape as a result of threats or force. Results revealed that number of lifetime consensual sex partners was positively and significantly correlated with all three forms of sexual victimization, as was more frequent attendance at weekly coed Greek-sponsored events among sorority women. In addition, sorority women with friends who peer-pressured them to have sex with fraternity men faced increased odds of intoxicated sexual assault compared with counterparts. Implications for prevention and future research are discussed.
Notes
1. But see (Franklin, Citation2010, Citation2016; Larimer et al., Citation1999; Ragsdale et al., 2012).
2. Students who were invited to participate in the study were drawn from undergraduate classes in sociology, criminal justice, education, and political science. Classes selected for invitation were based on access and convenience. A comparison of the sample to the university in which subjects were drawn is discussed in more detail by Franklin (Citation2010, Citation2016).
3. This data collection also involved surveys administered to 255 male college students for a total of 537 participants, but for the purpose of the present study only female subjects were selected and, among women, only those who reported current Greek affiliation were retained for multivariate analysis.
4. Employing this coding strategy produces non–mutually exclusive groups. We are sensitive to concerns surrounding this methodological decision. That said, the most recent revision to the SES has provided instructions on multiple ways of scoring sexual assault experiences, and one of the accepted methods is the creation of non–mutually exclusive groups (see Koss et al., Citation2007). Additionally, given the small sample size and the limited number of assault experiences reported here, selecting a coding scheme to create mutually exclusive groups would limit statistical power and prevent meaningful multivariate analyses.
5. Please note that total values for the sexual assault victimization dummy variables may sum to 94, as a total of 94 cases were sorority affiliated. Four cases with missing data were excluded from multivariate models using list wise deletion, but not excluded from sample demographics, univariate statistics and bivariate analyses.
6. There is limited variation in this item in terms of the number of sorority women who reported feeling pressured to engage in intimacy relationships with fraternity men, though these findings may be expected given the documented nature of Greek organizations as notoriously insulated and secretive with one another as a way to protect the organization from public scrutiny (e.g., Handler, Citation1995; Robbins, Citation2004; Schwartz & DeKeseredy, Citation1997).
7. Supplementary analyses not presented in tabular form were estimated to determine if substantive or significant differences existed when sexual assault victimization was coded to create mutually exclusive “no” categories (coded 0 if the participant responded no to all items measuring sexual assault) among verbal coercion resulting in unwanted sex, intoxicated sexual assault, and completed rape. Coefficients were not substantively different and were similar in direction and magnitude when meaningful interpretation was possible. Due to the excessively small sample sizes, this coding strategy prevented the estimation of meaningful binary logistic regression models for the intoxicated sexual assault (n = 54) and completed rape (n = 51) statistical analyses.
8. In other words, men and women may be interested in sex and intimacy and may come to a social event ready to find a potential partner. Doing so may predispose them toward drinking and engaging in other strategies that signal interest to the opposite sex, which may lead to coerced sexual contact. For a related discussion about intimacy expectations, hooking up, and sexual vulnerability, please see Franklin (Citation2013).