Summary: The purpose of the study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of sexual assault among straight, bisexual and gay college students. The study analyzed data from the Online College Social Life Survey, which was a survey of 21,000 students. In the study, one out of four heterosexual women experienced sexual assault after being in college for four years. Gay and bisexual men experienced the same rate of sexual assault as heterosexual women. Bisexual women were at the greatest risk with almost two out of five experiencing sexual assault after four years in college. Membership in Greek life was associated with sexual assault among most groups of students. The authors recommended that the findings be used by universities to reduce rates of sexual assault among different groups of students.
Application/Evaluation: The study did not evaluate the effectiveness of a health program or strategy.
Limitations: The findings were limited to straight, gay, and bisexual young adults who are enrolled in college.