Sexual Violence Among Sorority Women: Victimization Experiences,Contexts,and Disclosure

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare sexual violence (SV) victimization among sorority women and unaffiliated counterparts. Results showed sorority women were more likely than unaffiliated women to report experiencing some types of SV, consuming alcohol prior to victimization, and to identify their perpetrator as a hookup/casual partner. More women, regardless of affiliation, informally disclosed their victimization compared to formally reporting; many did not tell anyone because they did not think it was serious enough. The findings point to implications for harm reduction, bystander intervention, and primary prevention programming, as well as institutional policy to address SV.

Keywords

sexual violence sorority women victimization perpetrators reporting

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