A BROAD RANGE OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND ASSOCIATED MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES

Abstract

College women are at a high risk of experiencing sexual misconduct (SM) (Graham et al., 2022). Research shows a connection between sexual victimization and psychological distress (Graham et al., 2022). The lack of research on a broader range of SM and associated mental health outcomes is a lacuna that must be addressed. SM is a widely understudied issue, and approximately 1 in 5 college women will experience it at least once during their time on campus (Muehlenhard et al., 2017). Women are not only at a high risk of experiencing SM during their time in college, but research shows a strong link between sexual victimization and psychological distress (Graham et al., 2022). On university campuses across the US, SM is a pressing issue that impacts many, especially those who identify as women. The present study uses a mixed methods approach to expand on Liz Kelly’s concept of a continuum of SM, where Kelly argued that SM should be regarded as a continuum, not as separate categories (Kelly 1987). A quantitative survey assessed the current prevalence of SM at Bucknell University and its connection to participant trauma responses and mental health. A qualitative interview asked participants to expand on experiences that occurred at Bucknell and or with another Bucknell student. The online survey was administered to a random sample of Bucknell students. Results indicated that rates of SM are higher in women and that victim-survivors experience significantly higher rates of psychological distress than non-victims. The qualitative interview was administered over Zoom to a subsample of students who had taken the survey. Future research should focus on recruiting a larger and more diverse sample