Abstract:
Sexual assault continues to be a problem in the United States and a major problem on college campuses. College women are four times more likely to experience rape than any other group in the nation (Burnett, A., Mattern, J. L., Herakova, L.L., Kahl, D. H., Tabola, C., & Bornsen, S. E., 2009). Unfortunately, limited research has addressed populations at southern regional universities. The current study has looked at various research and further examined college students specifically at a southern regional university. This study analyzed the rate of sexual assaults affiliated with coercive behaviors and biological sex. Undergraduate students were recruited from a medium-sized regional university located in the southern United States. Self-administered anonymous surveys were dispersed to collect this data. The population consisted of 1,386 students who could have potentially participated. A total sample of 889 students participated in the study. Courses were randomly selected. The self-administered, anonymous surveys constructed by the researchers collected information concerning undergraduate students’ sexual attitudes, behaviors, and experiences. Chi-square tests and cross tabulations were used to analyze the results of the surveys. The results of this study revealed that sexual assault does occur on southern regional university campuses. The study also showed that of those students who were sexually assaulted, coercive behaviors were used to engage in non-consensual sex. The results of this study indicate a need to educate college students about rape, the rape culture, and hyper-masculine tendencies. Colleges need to reverse the normative behaviors that accept sexual assault and educate students to recognize and report sexual assault.