Experiences of sexual violence among racial minority college men.

Abstract

Sexual violence (SV) against college men is a significant national public health concern. Yet, there is a dearth of research pertaining to this problem, particularly with respect to SV experiences faced by racial minority college men (RMCM). The present study aimed to address extant research gaps by investigating how sociocultural socialization and discrimination (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, and intersectional) may influence RMCM's experiences of and responses to SV. Twelve RMCM whose ages ranged from 19 to 23 (M = 20.5) participated in semistructured interviews on sex and SV socialization, discrimination and SV experiences, and coping, disclosure, and help-seeking. Interview data were analyzed using conventional content analysis, and multiple themes emerged under the following domains: (a) socialization experiences related to sex and SV, (b) psychological impact of SV, and (c) disclosure and coping experiences. The findings indicate that familial and societal messages and discrimination highly influence SV experiences, conceptualizations, and coping. The findings have important implications for culturally informed research and practice with racial minority men SV survivors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).