Sexual Assault among College Students

Sexual assault among college students in the United States is a widespread societal issue, although the pervasiveness of this problem is likely unknown due to several factors. For instance, the extant literature reveals that researchers often operationalize sexual assault in a myriad of different ways which undoubtedly influences reported prevalence rates. In addition to definitional constraints, low rates of disclosure and methodological differences also impact reported prevalence. Despite these factors that influence the reported prevalence, the literature indicates that women (2%-44%) experience sexual assault at higher rates compared to males (1%-31%) (American College Health Association, 2017; Fedina, Lynn Holmes, & Backes, 2016). Moreover, it is important to note that sexual assault is associated with extensive psychological sequelae including substance use, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicidality. Within the United States, suicide is a leading cause of death and prevention efforts should focus on the systematic assessment of, and treatment for, individuals with suicidal experiences. An enhanced understanding of the factors that uniquely contribute to suicidal experiences, such as sexual assault, would likely improve treatment outcomes for individuals in the trauma recovery process. This manuscript explores the relationship between sexual assault and suicidal experiences as well as protective factors that moderate this association. The findings of this study revealed that among a sample of colleges students, experiencing attempted sexual intercourse against their will and perceived severity of unwanted sexual touching predicted suicidal ideation. The results also indicated that psychological treatment moderated the association between both unwanted sexual touching and attempted sexual intercourse against their will with suicidal ideation.