Perceptions of Anticipated Peer Support for Survivors of Sexual Violence Among Students with Minoritized Identities
This study finds that although survivors of sexual assault often first confide in a friend, college students who are disabled, LGBTQ+ or people of color are less confident their peers would support them after an assault.
Results indicate a need for colleges and universities to take a more intersectional approach in their efforts to provide safe environments for victims of sexual violence.
College of Health researcher(s)
College unit(s)
Abstract
Peers’ attitudes toward survivors of sexual violence can impact their willingness to disclose. Students with minoritized identities may perceive and experience their campus environments as less supportive than peers with privileged identities. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of anticipated peer support for sexual violence survivors, using a cross-sectional study of 2,727 students. Linear regression modeling showed significant associations between students with minoritized identities and lower scores on perceptions of anticipated peer support for survivors. There were also several important interactions between specific overlapping student identities. The findings suggest that students with minoritized identities perceive anticipated peer support less favorably than those with privileged identities.