Young women in college are significantly more likely to experience sexual violence than women not in college, according to a new study led by scholars at Washington State University.
Using data from 61,869 women who completed the National Crime Victimization Survey between 2007 and 2022, the study authors found an increased prevalence of sexual violence among women in college over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2022, the six-month risk of sexual violence was 74 percent higher for women ages 18 to 24 who were enrolled in college compared to women in the same age group who were not enrolled.
Among women who were enrolled in college, the risk for those living on campus was triple that of commuter students. According to the study, an estimated 1 in 100 women living on campus reported an incident of sexual violence between 2015 and 2022. Notably, the risk of sexual violence for women was similar between those enrolled in college and those not enrolled between 2007 and 2014.
Although the survey data cannot identify the exact reason for these findings, the authors theorize that social developments during the mid-2010s—such as the campus anti-rape movement, the #MeToo movement, and the rise of misogynistic online culture—could have influenced the upward trend in sexual violence on college campuses. Furthermore, certain components of college life, such as close living spaces and increased alcohol consumption, could create vulnerable situations that are specific to women attending college.