Academic Correlates of Unwanted Sexual Contact,Intercourse,Stalking,and Intimate Partner Violence: An Understudied but Important Consequence for College Students

Abstract

Sexual assault, partner abuse, and stalking are major problems on college campuses. Past research has demonstrated a host of physiological and psychological outcomes associated with victimization; however, there has been little research conducted on the potential academic outcomes associated with victimization. The purpose of this study was to measure the relation between academic outcomes and experiences of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and stalking victimization among college students. A sample of 6,482 undergraduate students currently enrolled at one of eight universities in New England was surveyed using items from the subscales of the College Persistence Questionnaire (Academic Efficacy, Collegiate Stress, Institutional Commitment, and Scholastic Conscientiousness). All four types of victimization were associated with significant differences on academic outcomes after controlling for sex and year in school, with victimized students reporting lower academic efficacy, higher college-related stress, lower institutional commitment, and lower scholastic conscientiousness. Polyvictimization was also significantly correlated with outcomes, with the greater number of types of victimization experienced by students being associated with more negative academic outcomes. Implications for future research and campus response were discussed.

Keywords

sexual assault rape relationship abuse stalking college academics well-being

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Banyard

V. L.

Ward

Cohn

E. S.

Moorehead

Walsh

(2007). Unwanted sexual contact on campus: A comparison of women’s and men’s experiences. Violence and Victims, 22, 52-70. doi:10.1891/088667007780482865

Belknap

Sharma

(2014). The significant frequency and impact of stealth (nonviolent) gender-based abuse among college women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15, 181-190. doi:10.1177/1524838014520725

Black

M. C.

Basile

K. C.

Breiding

M. J.

Smith

S. G.

Walters

M. L.

Merrick

M. T.

…Stevens

M. R.

(2011). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.

Black

M. C.

Breiding

M. J.

(2008). Adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors associated with intimate partner violence. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 57, 113-117. doi:10.1037/e410562008-001

Bonomi

A. E.

Anderson

M. L.

Reid

R. J.

Rivara

F. P.

Carrell

Thompson

R. S.

(2009). Medical and psychosocial diagnoses in women with a history of intimate partner violence. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169, 1692-1697. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2009.292

Breitenbecher

K. H.

(2006). The relationship among self-blame, psychological distress, and sexual victimization. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24, 579-611. doi:10.1177/0886260506286842

Buhi

E. R.

Clayton

Hepler Surrency

(2009). Stalking victimization among college women and subsequent help-seeking behaviors. Journal of American College Health, 57, 419-425. doi:10.3200/jach.57.4.419-426

Dardis

C. M.

Dixon

K. J.

Edwards

K. M.

Turchik

J. A.

(2015). An examination of the factors related to dating violence perpetration among young men and women and associated theoretical explanations: A review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 16, 136-152. doi:10.1177/1524838013517559

Davidson

W. B.

Beck

H. P.

Milligan

(2009). The College Persistence Questionnaire: Development and validation of an instrument that predicts student attrition. Journal of College Student Development, 50(4), 373-390. doi: 10.1353/csd.0.0079

10.

Edwards

K. M.

Gidycz

C. A.

(2014). Stalking and psychosocial distress following the termination of an abusive dating relationship: A prospective analysis. Violence Against Women, 2011, 1383-1397. doi:10.1177/1077801214552911

11.

Edwards

K. M.

Probst

D. R.

Rodenhizer-Stampfli

K. A.

Gidycz

C. A.

Tansill

E. C.

(2014). Multiplicity of child maltreatment and biopsychosocial outcomes in young adulthood: The moderating role of resiliency characteristics among female survivors. Child Maltreatment, 19, 188-198. doi:10.1177/1077559514543354

12.

Finkelhor

Shattuck

Turner

H. A.

Ormrod

Hamby

S. L.

(2011). Polyvictimization in developmental context. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 4, 291-300. doi:10.1080/19361521.2011.610432

13.

Fisher

B. S.

Cullen

F. T.

Turner

M. G.

(2000). The sexual victimization of college women: Findings from two national-level studies. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics.

14.

Foshee

V. A.

Bauman

K. E.

Arriaga

X. B.

Helms

R. W.

Koch

G. G.

Linder

G. F.

(1998). An evaluation of Safe Dates, an adolescent dating violence prevention program. American journal of public health, 88(1), 45-50.

15.

Gilbert

Widom

C. S.

Browne

Fergusson

Webb

Janson

(2009). Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries. The Lancet, 373, 68-81. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61706-7

16.

Hamby

Finkelhor

Turner

(2012). Teen dating violence: Co-occurrence with other victimizations in the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV). Psychology of Violence, 2, 111-124. doi:10.1037/a0027191

17.

Hamby

Grych

(2013). The web of violence: Exploring connections among different forms of interpersonal violence and abuse. New York, NY: Springer.

18.

Jordan

C. E.

Combs

J. L.

Smith

G. T.

(2014). An exploration of sexual victimization and academic performance among college women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 153, 191-200. doi:10.1177/1524838014520637

19.

Kilpatrick

D. G.

Ruggiero

Acierno

Saunders

Resnick

Best

(2003). Violence and risk of PTSD, major depression, substance abuse/dependence, and comorbidity: Results from the National Survey of Adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 692-700. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.4.692

20.

Krebs

C. P.

Lindquist

C. H.

Warner

T. D.

Fisher

B. S.

Martin

S. L.

(2007). The campus sexual assault (CSA) study. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.

21.

Krebs

C. P.

Lindquist

C. H.

Warner

T. D.

Fisher

B. S.

Martin

S. L.

(2009). College women’s experiences with physically forced, alcohol- or other drug-enabled, and drug-facilitated sexual assault before and since entering college. Journal of American College Health, 57, 369-647. doi:10.3200/JACH.57.6.639-649

22.

LeBlanc

M. M.

Barling

Turner

(2014). Intimate partner aggression and women’s work outcomes. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19, 399-412.

23.

Lipson

(2001). Hostile hallways: Bullying, teasing, and sexual harassment in school. Washington, DC: AAUW Educational Foundation.

24.

Nabors

E. L.

(2010). Drug use and intimate partner violence among college students: An in-depth exploration. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 1043-1063. doi:10.1177/0886260509340543

25.

Novotney

(2014, September). Students under pressure. Monitor on Psychology, 45. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/09/cover-pressure.aspx

26.

Tjaden

Thoennes

(2000). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NCJ 183781). Washington, DC: Department of Justice.

27.

Tjaden

P. G.

Thoennes

(1998). Stalking in America: Findings from the national violence against women survey (pp. 1-20). Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.

28.

Ullman

S. E.

Nadjowski

C. J.

(2009). Correlates of serious suicidal ideation and attempts in female adult sexual assault survivors. Suicide and Life-threatening Behavior, 39, 47-57. doi:10.1521/suli.2009.39.1.47

29.

Ullman

S. E.

Nadjowski

C. J.

Filipas

H. H.

(2009). Child sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use: Predictors of revictimization in adult sexual assault survivors. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse: Research, Treatment, & Program Innovations for Victims, Survivors, & Offenders, 18, 367-385. doi:10.1080/10538710903035263

30.

Ward

S. K.

Chapman

Cohn

White

Williams

(1991). Acquaintance rape and the college social scene. Family Relations, 40(1), 65-71. doi: 10.2307/585660