Campus Sexual Violence Victimization and Perpetration Experiences in Racial, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Minority Student Subpopulations: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Research on campus sexual violence (CSV) victimization and perpetration has grown considerably in recent years; however, knowledge of the experiences of CSV among students within specific racial, gender identity, and sexual orientation subpopulations remains limited. The purpose of this scoping review was to (a) determine any documented differences in CSV prevalence rates among students based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and (b) synthesize proposed mechanisms relating to these differences. A total of 37 studies published between 2004 and 2022 met our inclusion criteria, which included peer reviewed quantitative methodology, a U.S. higher education student sample, measures of CSV since entering college/university, and prevalence reports on CSV rates for racial, ethnic, sexual, and/or gender minority students. We found that cisgender women and gender-nonconforming students, sexual minority students, and students from some racial/ethnic minority groups experienced elevated rates of CSV victimization. However, we observed considerable variation in sampling procedures as well as victimization, perpetration, and demographic measures used in these studies. We discuss these findings and offer several explanations for the higher prevalence rates among minoritized student subgroups. We conclude with recommendations for future research.